


The Life Ahead

by klaineanummel



Series: A Night With the King [7]
Category: Glee
Genre: Age Difference, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Class Differences, Discussion of past dub-con, Happy Ending, Infidelity, M/M, Minor Power Imbalance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-11
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-08-30 10:42:27
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 37,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8529970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/klaineanummel/pseuds/klaineanummel
Summary: The tournament being held in his honour is a wonderful distraction for Blaine, who is still getting used to the fact that he is the King's fiance. As the tournament goes on, however, Blaine finds it harder to be distracted. His political ambitions are set in motion far sooner than he expected, while feelings for a certain Prince linger more than Blaine would like to admit. Nothing is unfolding as he thought it would.Then again, has it ever?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everybody!! Welcome to part seven! This is the penultimate part of this series, which means there is only one more part after this one left! I honestly cannot believe that this series is drawing to a close. I almost cannot believe it. This series has been such a large part of my life for the past year. It's going to be strange to see it come to a close.
> 
> There are twelve chapters in this fic, and I will be posting one every Monday and Friday. 
> 
> I want to send out a huge thanks to my beta mailroomorder, who has taken time out of her ridiculously busy schedule to look over this fic for me and help make it a thousand times better. You're the best.
> 
> I also want to thank those of you who are still with me despite the huge posting gaps between part 5 and part 6. I swear, a gap like that will not happen again! Thank you for sticking with me anyway. You guys make my life <3
> 
> This chapter is the longest of the whole fic, so I'm sorry about that. Please remember to check out the [extended warnings for this fic](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost), though I will say that the warnings are a lot less extreme than they have been in the past.
> 
> I hope you all enjoy, and I'll see you on Monday!

Everything seems to happen incredibly fast after Blaine accepts the King’s proposal.

The very first thing that happens is that Blaine makes a decision to make a conscious effort to call the King by his given name. After all, he’s going to be his husband. It may not be under the best of circumstances, but regardless, Blaine cannot call his husband ‘Your Majesty’ for the rest of his life.

Well, he could, but he does not want to. He’s committed to being consort, to being the Ki- _Burt’s_ husband. While he does not think he will ever truly grow to love the man, he does hope that one day he will be able to find a companionship with him. That will never happen if he continues to distance himself by calling Burt ‘The King’.

The second thing he does is make it very clear to Burt that he wants to be abstinent until the wedding.

Burt is flabbergasted by the request. He does not understand. They’ve been sleeping together for almost an entire year; why would they stop now? Blaine pieces together an excuse about his upbringing, how it is traditional to be abstinent until marriage, and even though they haven’t been thus far he would still like to at least hold on to tradition for this short period of their lives.

It’s not entirely a lie, but neither is it the truth. Ultimately he does not feel comfortable being near the King in a sexual manner, at least not yet. He knows he will have to get over his misgivings eventually, but he does not want to yet. Not after the ordeal with Sebastian, and the following rimming experience. Just because he agreed to marry Burt does not mean that he has forgiven him for everything he has done.

In fact, that is one of the main reasons he has agreed to marry him, ironically.

He knows, as well, that there is a small part of him who does not want to sleep with Burt because he is still grieving the loss of his relationship with Kurt. He tries very desperately not to think about that part, though.

Thankfully, it’s easy not to think of that. Kurt announces that he will be travelling with Prince Adam to Essex the day after Blaine and Burt’s engagement party. Blaine tries not to let the heartbreak he feels show through as he watches Kurt make the announcement. It was hard enough to watch him drink himself into oblivion the previous night. He wonders if Burt noticed the amount of soul-sucking glares that Kurt directed at him as much as Blaine did.

It hurts to watch Kurt leave, especially with Prince Adam by his side. They enter a carriage together and are off less than a week after Blaine and Burt’s engagement is announced. Burt reaches down and squeezes Blaine’s hand as they wave goodbye. Blaine sees Kurt looking out of the carriage window, sees his gaze drop to where Blaine’s hand is connected with Burt’s, and sees him pull away from the window and allow the curtain to cover it. After that, Blaine sees nothing.

After Kurt leaves, Burt tries to convince Blaine to move into the quarters next to his own. They are the quarters he will reside in as consort, and Burt figures that things will be crazy after the wedding, so they might as well do it now.

Blaine politely requests to remain with the rest of the concubines for now. While things have been a little tense in the concubine quarters, particularly around Sebastian, it is still the one place in the castle that truly feels like home. He has just gotten used to living there, and he does not want to move. At least, not yet.

Also, he believes it will be easier for Burt to abstain from sex with him if they aren’t so close to one another. This reason, however, he keeps to himself.

The month that follows Kurt’s departure is chaos at its finest. They are attempting to plan a wedding _and_ a tournament at the same time, which soon proves to be slightly too much for only two people. Especially when Burt announces that he wants to take Blaine on a month long tour of the kingdom, so that he may introduce him to all the nobles, as well as to the people. The tour is to take place before the tournament begins, and prioritizing soon becomes a problem.

Several of the staff are brought on to help them with the planning. Blaine decides to focus on the tournament, which he has to admit he is far more excited about than the wedding or the tour. He requests that Brittany help him with the planning, and soon Lady Lopez joins in as well. He is surprised that she is still in the castle, seeing as Kurt has left, but she explains that she plans on sticking around for the tournament, as she is going to be entering her top knight – already on her way to the castle.

“What will you request if you win?” Blaine asks one day over multiple charts with every available room in the castle.

Lady Lopez glances at Brittany, who is scribbling on one of the charts furiously. She blushes, then looks back at Blaine and shrugs. “I suppose I will decide if the time arrives.”

Blaine does not dwell on her response, knowing his mind is better occupied otherwise. He already spends too much time thinking about Kurt, their relationship, how it ended, and what he might be doing with Prince Adam up in Essex. The last thing he needs is something else to distract him from his already full schedule.

There is a brief pause in the planning of every event so that they may spend a weekend celebrating Blaine’s eighteenth birthday. Honestly, he is surprised when Burt announces that there will be a celebration in his honour, as he had entirely forgotten that his birthday was so soon.

He has a hard time believing that only a year ago he was having a small birthday celebration in his parents bakery. It was only himself, his parents, and David, and they ate a small cake his father made and played some card games. His mother, as always, had hoped that Cooper would show up to visit him, but of course, that was not to be.

It’s strange, this year, that Cooper is around for his birthday, but his parents are not. It is also strange that his birthday is being celebrated in the castle, and that a party is being thrown by his fiancé, who is the King. Had anybody told him last year that this would be the eighteenth birthday celebration he would receive, he would have laughed out loud and replied, “Of course, but only in my dreams.”

It was only a little over a month after his seventeenth birthday that he was called upon by the King for the first time. Oh, how different his life had been back then.

After the party, he immerses himself back into his planning duties. He spends so much time focusing on the tournament, compiling a list of all the knights who will be competing, and making room for everybody in the castle, that when Burt reminds him that they will soon be leaving on their tour Blaine is taken completely by surprise. All he had been consulted on, in regards to the tour, is whether Westerville should be the first or last stop on the tour, as Burt knew he would want to spend some time with his family while there. Blaine decided that he would prefer Westerville be last, knowing that, should he visit his family first, he would not want to leave them and continue on the tour.

Besides, if Westerville is last, then he has more time to prepare himself for the visit.

After he is reminded of their impending departure, he writes a brief letter to his parents. He tells them what day they will be in Westerville, and asks that they keep some time open for him to visit. As nervous as he is about seeing them, he is also incredibly excited.

He does not know if Burt will accompany him on his visit, and to be quite honest, he hopes he does not. He does not want to visit his family to introduce his new fiancé. He simply wants to visit his family.

He tries not to think about whether or not David will be there.

The final week before they depart is spent convincing Shelby to allow Rachel to join Brittany and Lady Lopez in helping plan the tournament. She is hesitant, unsure if Rachel will be up for the task due to her own upcoming nuptials as well as her kitchen work, but eventually relents when Rachel begs to be allowed to participate. Blaine has to admit how much he respects that Shelby listened to her daughter more than the future consort of the castle. He does not think that most nobles would agree with him on that front, but he still respects her for it.

Soon enough, Blaine has packed up more clothing than he brought to the castle to begin with, and is watching it all be loaded up into a carriage. Burt appears at his side and takes his hand.

“Are you excited to see the kingdom?” he asks.

Blaine bites his lip, but nods, even though he is not quite sure that ‘excited’ is the right word for it. “If it is all as beautiful as Westerville and the capital, then I am sure that I am in for a wonderful trip.”

“I can guarantee you that it is.”

Blaine smiles and allows Burt to help him enter the carriage they will share for the journey. He settles himself into the plush cushion atop the wooden seat, pulling the curtain back from the window so that he may wave goodbye to the household as they leave.

Then, without any further ado, they are off.

**

The month-long tour feels closer to a six-month tour. Every town includes a processional, similar to the one Blaine attended a year ago, and it’s overwhelming for Blaine every single time.

All he can think of as he rides down the street, sitting in his carriage and waving through the window, is that only a year ago he was the one standing amongst the crowd. He was just another person, a small town baker, simply excited to get a glimpse at the Crown Prince. Now, he is the one people are excited to get a glimpse of. It’s beyond overwhelming, and by the time the royal party reaches the estate of whichever noble they are staying with, Blaine always has a pounding headache and excuses himself to his chambers as soon as possible.

It does not help that many of the nobles insist on accompanying them on their tour, making their processional grow by the day. Many claim it is a good excuse to see the kingdom, but Blaine knows the true reason is that they want to introduce their knights to himself and Burt in hopes of gaining their favour. Blaine knows, of course, that the tournament will be based entirely on skill alone – first in jousting, and later in hand-to-hand combat. He does not know how to politely remind both nobles and knights of this.

It actually becomes quite cumbersome after some time. Every time Blaine admits that he is tired and wishes to retire for the evening, he is always met with at least one or two nobles, their knights at their side, wanting to get a final word in before Blaine disappears.

The longer the tour goes, the longer it takes Blaine to get to bed each night. Whereas at the beginning of the tour he was falling asleep by around eleven in the evening, and waking well rested and headache long gone, by the middle he is only getting to bed at around one or two in the morning, and waking with the same headache he fell asleep with.

Days begin to blur, as do faces and names. Several nobles introduce their knights multiple times, but Blaine only ever realizes he’s already met them when he is lying in bed, trying to make sense of the events of the day.

By the time they’ve reached Westerville, Blaine is deeply regretting asking that it be the last stop on the tour. He is so exhausted, and he does not even remember what it was like to live without the constant throbbing in his head. All he is thankful for is that Westerville does not technically have a noble, as really, its noble is Prince Kurt. Unfortunately, the manor that is being built for him is taking longer than expected (Blaine guesses because nothing ever happens in Westerville, and therefore Kurt has had no need to be there for longer than a day at a time), and therefore they will be remaining in the inn they stayed at last time.

While Burt has occasionally ridden in the carriage with him as they go through town, for Westerville he decides to ride atop a horse, leaving Blaine alone. He has to admit, he’s thankful for Burt’s decision. He worries that the mere sight of his parents will cause him to burst into tears, and he does not want Burt around should that happen.

Burt may be his fiancé, but he does not know Blaine well enough to properly comfort him. It’s best if he does not see Blaine break down.

The uproarious applause that greets them in Westerville far surpasses what has greeted them in any other town. People are practically screaming his name, waving their hats and handkerchiefs; some even their shirts. Blaine looks out the window, his smile growing by the second, watching his hometown welcome him back with more than open arms.

The crowd does not lose its enthusiasm as the procession continues, and Blaine has tears in his eyes by the time they’re halfway through town. He sees his old friends scattered throughout the crowd, and he blows them kisses whenever he sees them, grinning as they pretend to catch them and swoon.

Then, he sees his parents.

They are standing in front of the bakery, right at the front of the crowd. Side-by-side, their hands clasped tightly, their eyes meet his and he feels a sob escape his lips.

He wants to jump out of the carriage and run to them. He wants to wrap himself in their arms and never escape. He wants to rush them into the bakery, lock the doors, and forbid any of them from leaving.

He hardly allowed himself to, but good god, he missed them so much.

Beside them is David, and he stares with his lips parted and his eyes wet. There is a man standing next to him, and he is the only person in the entire crowd who is not cheering. In fact, he looks almost angry. He looks up at David, says something Blaine cannot hear, then begins to push his way back through the crowd.

David looks up at Blaine again. He presses his lips together, then brings his hand to his lips and raises it toward Blaine. Blaine reciprocates, his heart aching in a way he did not fully expect. David nods, then turns around and follows the man through the crowd.

Blaine manages to catch his parent’s eyes one final time before his carriage moves too far down the street. His mother has a hand covering her mouth and seems to be sobbing, and his father just cannot stop smiling. Blaine blows them a kiss as well, but it only serves to make his mother cry harder.

When they disappear from his view, he feels a heaviness within him. Even the continuous roar of the crowd cannot alleviate the feeling that seeing his old life so plainly before him has instilled in him.

There’s a reason he’s been keeping this all locked in a small box in the corner of his mind.

The rest of the processional passes in a blur. Several people jump up and down on the street, trying to gain his attention, but he barely sees them. All he can see is his parents, his mother crying softly and his father smiling at him like he’s the moon, the sun, and all of the stars; them, and David disappearing through the crowd in pursuit of his mystery suitor.

He almost doesn’t notice that they’ve arrived at the inn until the carriage door is opened and the page he’s been assigned for the journey, a young man named Roderick, clears his throat and quietly prompts, “Sir?”

“Sorry,” Blaine says, climbing out of the carriage awkwardly. Everything is louder out here, the crowd only being held back by several guards, shouting his name, along with chants of ‘Long live the King!’.

Blaine waves at them, and if anything, they get louder. He forces himself to smile, even though all he wants to do is curl up in a ball in bed (the image of his bed back in the concubine quarters calls to him, but even a cheap inn bed would do now) and remain there for several days. He waves again, then feels a hand slipping into his own and looks up to see Burt standing beside him. Burt waves at the crowd as well, then begins to lead Blaine toward the inn door where the innkeeper is standing, eyes wide, fingers moving along the myriad of carriages and horses, clearly not expecting such a large party. They sit in the lobby of the inn, nobles, servants, and knights milling about around them. Burt is giving Blaine a contemplative look, and Blaine isn’t quite sure he’s going to like what he’s thinking about.

As though he’s read Blaine’s mind, Burt says, “I’m not so sure if going to see your parents today is the best idea.”

Blaine wishes that his jaw didn’t drop at the words, but it does. He cannot help it. “What?”

“I didn’t anticipate such a crowd,” Burt says, gesturing to the doors. “You’ll be suffocated by them.”

“I haven’t seen my parents in a year,” Blaine says, voice firm despite his shock. “A year, Burt.”

“I know, Blaine, but this crowd… Look, why don’t we arrange for your parents to come up and stay at the castle for the duration of the tournament? Then you can spend an entire month with them.”

“I want to spend today with them,” Blaine insists. “I haven’t seen them in a year. They’re… they’re right _here_ , Burt. I’m going to see my parents.”

Burt looks him in the eye, searching for any sign of wavering. Blaine clenches his jaw and holds his ground.

“Alright,” Burt says, shaking his head. His lips curve upward in a small smile, though, and his eyes sparkle with fondness. “You're stubborn lately, did you know?”

Blaine's lips tick up in a small smile of their own. He does not think he's ever been called stubborn before. He has to admit, he likes it.

**

It is still quite some time before he is able to slip away to see his parents. He goes through the back door and navigates the small streets and back alleys of Westerville with incredible ease. Burt had wanted Blaine to take a guard or two with him (various surrounding nobles had instantly volunteered their Knights), but Blaine does not need them. He does not _want_ them. He’s going to do this alone.

He reaches the back door of the bakery, heart hammering away in his chest. He lifts a hand and knocks on the door, glancing around nervously in hopes that nobody will see him.

Barely a second later the door is pulled open and he is being pulled into his father’s arms.

“Pamela!” he shouts, pressing Blaine tightly to his chest. “Pamela, Blaine is here!”

He vaguely hears the door shut behind him, and soon his mother has her arms wrapped around him as well, her cheek on his shoulder. He can feel wetness seeping through his shirt and soon he is crying as well, sandwiched between his parents and finally - _finally_ \- feeling at home.

**

The time spent with his parents seems to fly. It feels like he’s barely been there for twenty minutes when the sun goes down, and his parents glance at each other worriedly and ask him if he has to get going.

Blaine shakes his head. He’s spent the last several hours telling them everything about his new life in the castle, filling them in on all the things he wasn’t able to in his letter, but he still feels like he has so much left to tell them.

He wants to tell them about Kurt. He so desperately wants to tell them about Kurt.

He hasn’t seen David yet. Or the man with him at the procession.

He tries to change the subject by mentioning Cooper. He tells his parents that Cooper is with him, at the castle, as a gardener. He’s doing well, even if he isn’t doing well in the field he wants to.

His mother looks like she’s about to burst into tears at the mention of her eldest son. His father squeezes her hand tightly, his own eyes watery as well.

“Will you tell him to write?” his father asks, and Blaine smiles. He knows his father’s relationship with Cooper is complicated. He isn’t supposed to know this, but he found a letter once, addressed to his mother, from a man claiming he was ready for commitment and wanted to see Pamela and their son. Blaine’s always known his parents have had struggles, and that his father and Cooper have not always gotten along, and a few years before he found the letter he began to wonder why Cooper and his father looked nothing alike, how it was possible that his parents marriage and Cooper were the exact same age. He knows that his father has resented Cooper in the past, and that it was hard for him when Cooper left. Largely because it was so hard for Blaine’s mother, but also because it meant that he would not be able to fix their relationship.

It warms Blaine’s heart to see that, after all this time, his dad is still willing to give Cooper a chance.

“He’s stubborn,” Blaine admits. “And busy. I rarely see him. But the next time I do… yes. I will most definitely tell him to write.”

“Good,” his father says, nodding. His mother cuddles closer to Blaine.

“You’ll write, too, right?” she asks.

“Of course,” Blaine instantly promises. “I know I didn’t write for a long time but…” he looks between them, a thickness forming in his throat. “It was hard. For so long, it was hard. I couldn’t bear to think of you, because I knew it would break my heart. I missed you so much.”

They all hug, tears once again streaming down their faces.

He knows it will continue to hurt, and will continue to be hard, but he isn’t going to let that stop him again. He loves his parents, and he wants them in his life.

Besides, he will soon be consort. He will have far more freedom than he ever did as a concubine.

They continue to talk for another hour, his parents telling him stories about the bakery, him telling them stories about learning to ride and his friends in the castle. He doesn’t mention Kurt, even though he wants to, and he doesn’t really mention Burt or the engagement either.

Of course, he can’t avoid the topic forever.

It’s his mother who brings it up, finally. She is subtle, as she always is. She tangles their hands together, and rubs her thumb over his ring.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispers. Blaine smiles and quietly thanks her. She can’t seem to stop staring at it, lips pressed together. “Do you love him?” she asks after several minutes of silence.

Blaine does not know how to respond. He doesn’t want to lie to his parents, but neither does he want to fully explain the situation. He loves his parents, but he also knows how much it would hurt them to know the truth. That he does not love Burt. That he loves somebody else. That he had an affair with somebody else. That he is marrying Burt for the power it will give him, for the freedom he so desires and wishes upon everyone, not because of any feelings of affection. They don’t need to know these things.

“It’s complicated,” he says, not really lying, but not really telling the truth either. “I feel like, in time, I could love him.”

That is an outright lie. He is quite sure that he will be able to eventually regain the amicable and easy relationship he once had with Burt, but he knows he will never love the man. Not after everything that has happened.

He feels guilty for lying to his parents, but the way they smile and coo over him, telling him how they cannot even believe it, that their son is going to be King, makes him feel better.

Only a few minutes later his mother begins to yawn, and Blaine knows that it is time for him to leave.

“I don’t want to go,” he admits. “I’ve missed you both terribly.”

“We’ve missed you, too,” his father says, smiling despite the tears in his eyes. “But you have more important things to attend to now.”

He wishes he could tell them that nothing will ever be more important than them, but it just isn’t true. Not anymore.

He takes their hands in his and squeezes tightly. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now, but the King is holding a tournament in my honour. I’ve… I’ve been planning it for quite some time now. I’m very excited.” He squeezes their hands again. “It would mean the world to me if you would come up for some of it. I would love to see you.”

His parents exchange a look. “Oh, darling, we would love to,” his mother says. “But… the bakery. David and Todd are getting quite good at managing it, but they are not quite at the point of being able to run it on their own.”

Todd. That must be the man that Blaine saw at the procession.

He nods. “I understand,” he says. “But, please, when you feel they are ready… come? Not just for me. I think it would do Cooper a world of good to see you.”

They agree to come as soon as possible, and then stand and hug. They hug much longer this time than they did when Blaine left the first time, which is strange, because it feels far less final now. Back then Blaine had no idea when the next time he would see his parents would be, if he would ever see them. Now he knows he will see them again. He will soon have the power to see them whenever he so pleases.

He still hugs them tightly, the goodbye just as hard.

It is only when he is by the back door, preparing to leave, that he musters up the courage to ask, “Did David go home?”

His father presses his lips together, and his mother shakes her head slowly.

“David lives with us, now,” she admits. “His family moved to Carmel several months after you left. We asked him to stay, take on the bakery when we are no longer able to.”

“Where is he, then?” Blaine asks.

His father shrugs. “Out and about, I suppose. Todd was… he was not happy to see you.”

As though a sign of fate, the bell atop the door at the front of the store jingles, and Blaine pushes his way past his parents, despite their protests. He needs to see David. He needs to talk to him. He refuses to leave without doing so.

David stands alone in the lobby of the bakery, placing the key back in his pocket, looking at the ground. He must hear Blaine approaching, for he looks up just as Blaine passes the counter, eyes wide and lips parting.

“Blaine,” he whispers. “You’re… you’re still here.”

“I needed to see you,” Blaine says.

David glances around, eyes briefly catching on something behind Blaine. It must be his parents, but Blaine does not turn around to check. His focus is entirely on his old friend and lover.

“I was not sure it would be best to see each other,” David says quietly. “I didn’t think Todd would like.”

Blaine nods. “Todd. He was the man who was with you earlier, wasn’t he?”

David nods as well. “We’re engaged,” he says, barely a whisper.

The admission does not hurt nearly as much as he thought it would.

“I’m happy for you.”

“Thank you,” David gives him a small smile. “I am… I am happy for you as well.”

“I miss you,” Blaine blurts. “Not…” he puts his hands up, hurrying to explain. “Not like that. I used to miss you like that, but now…” he thinks of Kurt and his heart aches. “Now I only miss your friendship. We were always such good friends, David.”

“I know,” David says, nodding forlornly. “I miss your friendship as well, Blaine.”

“Can I write you?” Blaine asks. “When I return to the palace.”

David shakes his head. “I do not think that would be wise, Blaine.”

“But you just said-”

“I said that I miss your friendship, yes. And I will have to continue missing it. I… I love Todd, Blaine. I love him very much. It’s hard for him, knowing about you. Knowing about what we did.”

Blaine blushes and shifts on his feet, fully aware that his parents are behind him. “David…”

“He worries,” David continues. “When he heard of this tour he practically went into a panic. He worried… he worried you would ask me to go with you.”

“What?” Blaine asks, eyes widening.

David looks at the ground. “As consort, you will be allowed your own concubines.”

Blaine’s jaw drops. “No,” he says instantly. “No, I would… I would never do that. I wouldn’t -”

“I know,” David says. “But he’s… you need to understand, Blaine. It’s been very difficult for him. It’s taken a long time to work through my past.”

Blaine swallows thickly, and nods. “I do understand. Please tell him that I am very sorry for any heartache I have caused him, and assure him that I never intend to take you from him.”

David smiles thinly. “I will.”

“And I… I understand. About not wanting me to write. Just know that I will always think fondly of you, and that I will never stop missing our friendship.”

After a quick glance at Blaine’s parents, David comes forward and wraps Blaine up in a short, yet tender, hug. Blaine hugs back, happy to once again be in David’s arms, yet feeling nothing more than a sense of loss for the friendship he no longer has.

“I will miss you as well, Blaine.” David tells him softly in his ear.

The hug ends, and David hurries out of the room, up the stairs and into the apartment above. Blaine turns to his parents and gives them a small smile, the only one he can muster.

“It’s better this way, Blaine,” his father says, and Blaine knows it’s true. His father would know better than anyone.

“I know,” Blaine admits. “It’s still hard.”

They say goodbye once more, hugging each other tightly, whispering promises to write, Blaine reminding his parents that they must come visit as soon as they feel that they can.

Then, even though he is not anywhere near ready, Blaine walks out of the front door, able to see that the crowds have dispersed by now, and begins his walk back to the inn.

**

That night as he lies in his bed at the inn, staring up at the ceiling, he thinks of the shirt David gave him so long ago. He should get rid of it, he thinks. He’s ready to get rid of it.

He smiles a little to himself, then turns over so he is lying on his side.

Maybe he has been ready to get rid of it for longer than he thought.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153052179405/the-life-ahead-112)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Monday everybody :D I know Monday’s suck, but posting this is making my Monday a little bit better :) I hope you guys enjoy this chapter and, as always, please make sure to check the [extended warnings for this fic](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost). I love you guys <3

Although Westerville is technically the last stop on their tour, they still have to pass through the capital on their way back to the castle. People may be more used to seeing royals in this city, but it is only the second time they will be seeing Blaine (the first time being when they passed through at the beginning the tour), so the streets are lined with people, and Blaine still has to play the role of dutiful consort, waving to the people even though all he wants to do is sleep.

They make a brief stop at the local inn that Blaine has reserved for the knights that will be competing in the tournament. Although there is still two weeks until the tournament is officially slated to begin, the owner informs them that knights have been arriving for the past week or so, and that he is incredibly glad that Blaine had the foresight to book the inn for a whole month before the tournament, as well as the two weeks after. Blaine preens a little, happy to have done something right.

After dropping off all of the knights, the rest of the party continues up to the castle, where the nobles will be residing for the duration of the tournament. Blaine has spoken to everybody at some point during the tour and reminded them that the arena where the tournament is taking place is actually in the capital, not on the castle grounds, and therefore they will have to travel every day if they decide to stay in the castle. Nobody seemed to care much about the excessive back and forth. He thinks the prestige of staying in the castle is not something they are willing to give up, especially the lower ranked nobles who would normally not be invited for such long a stay.

The party is greeted by practically the entire household standing in a line in front of the main doors. Blaine’s eyes instantly go to the far left of the line, and he is disappointed to find Lady Lopez at the very front. He hates that he is disappointed not to see Kurt, knows he shouldn’t be. It’s been two months since he officially ended their relationship. It isn’t healthy, or right, for Blaine to still be so caught up in his emotions for the man.

Still, it hurts, knowing that Kurt is still away. That he will not get to see Kurt any time soon. That Kurt is in Essex, with his future husband, probably… canoodling.

Blaine steps out of the carriage and is greeted by Lady Lopez with a kiss on the cheek. He does not see him coming, but suddenly Burt is beside him, and together they continue down the line, greeting everybody in the house.

It’s strange, being on this side of the receiving line.

It’s especially strange when they reach the concubines. He greets everybody cordially, even though what he really wants to do is give Emma, Brittany, and Elliott all huge hugs. He would even like to greet Sue and Will less formally than he is forced to, though he has to admit that he is thankful for the expectation of cordiality when he reaches Sebastian.

He worried, when he’d originally accepted Burt’s proposal, that Sebastian would become jealous and petty once more. Instead, Sebastian has withdrawn from him, from everybody, really; shaking his head every time he enters a room, occasionally whispering about how Blaine has no self-respect. He’s begun carrying around a small flask similar to Bryan’s, and is rarely seen outside of mealtimes.

Part of Blaine wishes he could tell Sebastian that he is doing this for _him_. Well, not just for him, of course. But largely because of him, and Emma. He wants to explain, but he also isn’t sure if Sebastian deserves that. Not after all the pain he’s put Blaine through. Not after his insensitive remarks after their night with the King.

He does not deserve the pain he feels, but he also does not deserve an explanation. Not from Blaine, at least.

Finally the receiving line comes to an end, everybody having said their hello’s, and Blaine is finally allowed to move into the castle. Burt stops him before he can go too far, informing him that they will be having dinner soon, but that he has enough time to freshen up a little, maybe change his clothes.

Blaine thanks him for the reminder, but quietly begs off, saying that he is infinitely exhausted and would much prefer to socialize the following morning after a good night’s rest. Burt agrees instantly, and it’s still beyond strange to hold this much power. The power to say no.

He hurries off to the concubine quarters, arriving even before the other concubines do. He finds his trunks (he cannot believe he had enough clothing to bring two entire trunks on a one month tour) sitting next to the closet door, but he does not bother finding his sleep clothes. Instead he simply sheds his outer layers of travel clothes and falls onto his bed.

Sleep comes faster than it has all month.

**

Blaine keeps his promise to socialize with the nobles the next morning and has breakfast in the dining room instead of in the concubine quarters.

Lady Lopez sits next to him, which Blaine is extremely thankful for, as he does not want to spend his breakfast schmoozing with nobles. He attempts to speak with her about the preparations for the tournament, but she stops him immediately.

“Even I am no longer helping to prepare that,” she says, shaking her head. “Brittany and several servants have taken over the preparations. Of course everything will be run by Burt before it is finalized, but, as it stands, neither you nor I are involved anymore.”

“Oh,” Blaine says, feeling a slight twinge of disappointment.

Lady Lopez chuckles. “Get that pout off your face,” she says, poking his arm. “This tournament is in your honour. You didn’t truly expect to spend it drowning in paperwork, did you?”

Blaine shrugs. “I wouldn’t have minded. I was enjoying deciding who would fight who during the first few rounds, and helping make the arrangements for lodging and such. It was fun.”

“Well, it will be more fun to just sit back and enjoy, now won’t it? All you have to do now is cheer for your knight, and hope that she beats out all the rest.”

“Which she will,” Burt cuts in, and Blaine wonders if he’s been listening this entire time. “You all know that Lady Hudson is the most accomplished knight in the kingdom. No offense to the rest of you, but your knights do not stand a chance against my fiance’s.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure, Your Majesty,” Duke St. James says from his seat across from Blaine. “I happen to know of several knights that are without a doubt of the same caliber as Lady Hudson.”

“Impossible,” Burt says instantly, and Blaine glances up at him to see his face curved downward in a frown, as though the mere thought of anybody being as good a knight as Lady Hudson is offensive to him. “Lady Hudson is a better knight than any I know. Why, I would wager anything that she will be the champion of this tournament.”

“We shall see, I suppose,” Duke St. James says, though he does not look quite convinced. Blaine is not sure why he is being so self-assured. Although Duke St. James did not accompany them on their tour, as he was already in the castle, his knight joined them in Carmel, and he’s one of the smallest, slightest knights that Blaine has ever seen.

Before anybody else can speak up, Duke St. James continues by turning to Blaine and asking, “What are you going to request as your prize should Lady Hudson win?”

Blaine’s eyebrows shoot up. “ _My_ prize?”

“Yes, of course. The knights fight on behalf of the nobles. You must know that, seeing as I know you have been essential in the preparations of the event.”

“Actually, we have had several knights enter the tournament independently,” Lady Lopez states. “So his confusion is understandable. But yes, Blaine, should Lady Hudson win the tournament, you will be allowed to claim the prize.”

Blaine shakes his head. “If Lady Hudson wins the tournament, the prize will be hers alone to claim. I do not want for anything.”

There are several coos around the table, and Blaine realizes that they must assume he is speaking not only in regards to physical items, but also emotionally. He looks up to Burt, who is smiling at him softly, his infatuation clear on his face.

Blaine smiles back and reaches out to take Burt’s hand, playing along with the charade.

He is so thankful that Kurt is not here.

They continue breakfast with their hands linked, and Blaine regrets ever taking Burt’s hand in the first place. He feels as though now he cannot let go, out of fear of hurting Burt’s feelings and pride.

Although he wonders if Burt’s feelings would be hurt as much as Blaine assumes. After all, while there was clear fondness on his face as he smiled at Blaine earlier, it was nowhere near close to the passion in his eyes when he spoke of Lady Hudson.

**

Since he has been relieved of his tournament planning duties, and Burt decided halfway through the tour to postpone wedding planning until the end of the tournament, Blaine finds himself feeling idle for the first time since he and Burt got engaged.

He goes for a brief walk through the gardens, but far too many of their guests have decided to do the same, and it isn’t long before he is completely overwhelmed by the amount of nobles attempting to talk to him. He is as courteous as he can be, but eventually it gets to be too much for him, and he quietly begs off, returning to the castle as quickly as he can without running.

It’s most likely a good thing. His walks tend to lead him to the stables, whether he wants them to or not, and he really doesn’t think he should be around the stables. There are too many memories of Kurt there. Memories he most definitely isn’t ready to face.

He ends up in the castle library. As he walks in he realizes that he’s never actually come here before, always satisfied with the library in the concubine quarters. It’s a travesty, really, because this collection is unbelievable. There are more books than Blaine could ever imagine reading, but that isn’t going to stop him from trying.

He picks up a book on philosophy and curls up on a soft chair by a window, and that is where Mason finds him, hours later, to request that he dine in the King’s private chambers rather than in the main dining hall.

Despite his current ambivalence towards Burt, he is still thankful to be afforded a further reprieve from the nobles. He makes a note of the page in his book, then closes it, places it on the shelf closest to the chair he was sitting in, and hurries to follow Mason, though the path to Burt’s chambers is one he knows far too well by now.

The first time Burt asked Blaine to dine alone with him after Blaine requested they remain celibate for their engagement, Blaine had been worried. He had a right to be, he knows. How was he to know if Burt would attempt to initiate sex despite Blaine’s desires? It would not be the first time that occurred.

He did not. It seemed that the ring on Blaine’s finger was already serving its intended purpose. Burt did not touch him the entire evening aside from a kiss on the cheek in greeting and a brief peck on the lips goodbye.

Since that day he has felt slightly more at ease with Burt. He is still apprehensive, of course, though attempting not to appear so on the outside. He is meant to seem like a boy in love, after all. His is a story for the ages - the lucky baker boy from Westerville who became King. It doesn’t seem as romantic if he is not a baker boy in love..

He and Mason reach the King’s chambers and Mason announces his arrival. The table is already set for two, and Burt is sitting at one chair. He stands when Blaine and Mason arrive, smiling at Blaine and holding a hand out to him.

Blaine walks forward and takes the hand, allowing Burt to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Where were you, my love?” Burt asks as Blaine sits down at the table, thankfully managing to loosen Burt’s hold on his hand in the process. “I sent Mason to find you at least a half hour ago.”

“I was in the library,” Blaine says, tucking in his chair and glancing over the small spread on the table. “I found a very interesting book on ancient philosophy. I’ve spent most of the afternoon reading.”

“I love that you love to read,” Burt says, smiling. Once again there is a clear fondness shining through his eyes, but the passion that Blaine saw earlier is nowhere to be found. “I know so few people who still indulge in books. Most nobles find it a waste of time, instead preferring to chatter amongst themselves like hens.”

Blaine chuckles. “Socializing is a good enough way to spend one's time, but I’ve often found that spending too much time with people can be quite tiring. As much as I enjoy being with others, I also greatly enjoy my time alone.”

“Just another thing I love about you.”

Blaine smiles thinly, then begins to serve himself a plateful of food. He hates when Burt talks of his love for Blaine, knows that it hurts Burt when Blaine does not return his proclamations of love.

He refuses to do so, though, regardless of how it makes his fiance feel. Blaine knows that his heart still belongs to Kurt, and he refuses to pretend that somebody else holds it until he is certain that his feelings for Kurt are gone.

“It’s kind of you to allow Carole to choose her own prize rather than ask for one yourself,” Burt says casually as they begin to eat. “I do not know many people who would so willingly give up a prize with so much possibility.”

Blaine shrugs. “She is the one who will fight,” he says. “It only seems fair that she be the one who wins the prize.”

“You’d be surprised by how few people think as you do.” Blaine glances up and sees Burt smiling as he looks at his plate of food. “I have to admit, though, that I am glad for it. Carole is a marvelous knight, and there are few times when she has allowed me to reward her in the way she deserves to be rewarded. Although, knowing her, whatever prize she requests will benefit more than only herself.” He shakes his head, and Blaine presses his lips together, one eyebrow raising slowly. “She is far too good hearted.”

He takes a bite of vegetables, and Blaine uses the pause to speak what has been on his mind all day. “You seem exceedingly fond of Lady Hudson,” he says it calmly, though his heart rattles in his chest wildly as he says it. “I do hope that you do not plan on having some scandalous affair with her once we are married.”

He makes sure that he is smiling when Burt looks up, eyes wide with alarm. His tone was joking, or so he hoped, but the shock on Burt’s face makes him think that perhaps he is exactly right in his suspicions.

“I would never have an affair, scandalous or not.” Blaine presses his lips together, not wanting to mention the irony in that statement. It is an irony that he knows Burt will never see. “And even if I did, I can promise you that it would never, _ever_ , be with Carole.”

Blaine raises his eyebrow further. “A strangely emphatic no, considering how highly you speak of her.”

Burt shakes his head. “Any form of relationship beyond what Lady Hudson and I currently have would be far beyond inappropriate.”

“She is a knight,” Blaine says, still attempting a joking tone despite how seriously Burt is taking the conversation.

“She was my deceased wife’s concubine, Blaine,” Burt says, and this time it is Blaine’s eyes that widen in shock. “Please, you must understand how inappropriate a relationship between us would be.”

Blaine feels… well, to be perfectly frank, he feels beyond foolish. Of course Lady Hudson used to be the Queen’s concubine. He does not understand how he has never realized it before. Suddenly, a thousand past conversations make far more sense to Blaine, and he could almost hit himself at how stupid he has been.

“Of course I do,” he says, all joking passed. “I am sorry, Burt. I was merely teasing.”

Silence falls between them. Blaine eats several mouthfuls of food, wondering if Burt knows that in his adamant refusal of any feelings for Lady Hudson he has only further proved Blaine’s point. As he eats, Blaine glances at Burt, wondering if he himself realizes how clearly the infatuation he feels for Blaine pales in comparison to the passion with which he speaks of Lady Hudson.

He does not know what this information means for him. Really, it should mean nothing. Burt has made it very clear that regardless of any feelings he might have -- whether he is aware of said feelings or not -- he does not wish to pursue a relationship with Lady Hudson.

Besides, Blaine is marrying Burt for a reason. If Burt did realize his feelings for Lady Hudson and decided to marry her instead… where would that leave Blaine? No longer a future King, most likely not even a concubine, with no power to promote any kind of change.

The silence has become almost suffocating. Blaine eats as quietly as he can, chewing slowly, the noise of it too loud in the silence of the room. He glances at Burt occasionally, and Burt glances back, but he does not seem to know how to restart the conversation between them either.

Blaine swallows thickly and, speaking the first thing that comes to his mind, asks, “Have you heard any news from Kurt?”

Burt sets his fork and knife on the table, and sighs heavily before replying. “I have,” he says, and, although his words seem troubled, it is clear to Blaine that he is thankful that the conversation has resumed.

“Is he well?”

Burt sighs again. “I am… to be completely frank, I am not sure.” He rubs a hand over his face and says, “You see, he mentions Prince Adam in his letters, but it is always in terms of political conversations they have been having, peace treaties they have been signing. Peace treaties that were supposed to be created by their marriage to one another.”

“But they are peace treaties that are still being signed,” Blaine tries, hating the hopeful jolt that his heart gives at the news. “Perhaps they are being incredibly thorough. Ensuring that Essex and Lima never go to war.”

“Their marriage was supposed to promise that. With our families united, there was to be no need for further peace agreements,” he sighs once more. “I fear their betrothal is falling apart.”

Blaine takes a bite of his food, and then, once again attempting to lighten the mood, says, “Perhaps it is the opposite. Perhaps they have secretly eloped, and Kurt is attempting to keep it a secret by only mentioning their political discussions.”

It hurts even to say it. It doesn’t matter how many times he tells himself that it can’t hurt, that it shouldn’t hurt. It still does.

“Well, I hope that you are correct,” Burt says, shaking his head. “I would much prefer a secret elopement to a broken engagement. At least with the first I know that our peace agreement with Essex is intact.”

Blaine does not know what to say. He does not even know what he expected Burt to reply to his suggestion. He should have known it would be nothing good.

He takes a final bite of his food, then wipes his mouth with a cloth and says, “I am terribly sorry to do this, but I feel a slight pain in my head, and I think it would be best if I return to my room before it becomes unbearable.”

Burt seems surprised, but he agrees that Blaine should get some rest before his headache worsens. Once again he bids Blaine goodbye with a small peck on the lips, and Blaine hurries out of his chambers soon after, trying to swallow the lump that has appeared in his throat.

When he returns to his room he changes into his sleep clothes quickly and falls into his bed.

He wishes he could fall asleep soon, wanting more than anything to stop thinking about the possibility that Kurt and the Prince of Essex have secretly married.

Instead, he tosses and turns for hours, his mind seemingly incapable of rest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153194866250/the-life-ahead-212)


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t have a lot to say about this one, because I don’t want to spoil it ;) I hope you all enjoy, and as always, please remember to read the[ extended warnings for this fic.](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost) Love you guys <3

The next two weeks pass almost entirely uneventfully. Blaine finds himself retreating to the library more often than not, as it affords him a break from the seemingly constant stream of nobles seeking his approval, and keeps him out of Sebastian’s way. It feels as though all Sebastian does since Blaine and Burt’s proposal is scowl and drink, and the more he drinks, the more he scowls. It makes Blaine beyond uncomfortable, especially considering most of his scowls are aimed in Blaine’s direction.

The library also allows him to avoid Elliott, whom he’s had a hard time being around ever since he had his affair with Kurt. He knows that Elliott is Kurt’s concubine, not his husband, but he cannot help but feel guilty. Elliott has been nothing but kind to him ever since he arrived in the castle. He feels like he’s betrayed him.

Elliott hasn’t really made any effort to speak to him either. He does not know if he should be happy or sad about that.

He manages to go on a couple of walks through the garden, though almost all of them are cut short by one reason or another. The main reason, of course, is the nobles that seem to find him no matter where he goes (except, thankfully, the library). When Blaine goes for his walks, he goes because he desires some time alone with the beautiful nature that surrounds him. Not because he wants to socialize with people he is coming very close to despising.

One time, though, he runs into Cooper. He believes this might allow him a slightly longer garden visit, as perhaps the nobles will see that he is otherwise engaged and leave him alone.

They do, but his walk is cut short regardless.

“Father wants you to write him,” is the beginning and end.

Cooper scoffs. “Father? Father has never wanted more to do with me than was absolutely necessary.”

“It’s true. He specifically asked me to tell you to write him. He misses you, Cooper. They both do.”

“What good would it do?” Cooper says. “All my letter would say is that I’ve failed at what I set out to do, and all they would reply with is an invitation to return to Westerville and to the bakery. No, thank you.”

“They’re giving the bakery to David, Cooper,” Blaine says. “They won’t ask you to do that.”

“You don’t think they’d jump at the opportunity to keep the bakery in the family if they could?” Cooper retorts, shaking his head.

Blaine sighs. No, he doesn’t think that. He doesn’t think that at all. But he doesn’t feel like getting into a discussion about _that_ as well. Instead, he simply says, “You should write, Cooper. I’m sure it will make seeing them again easier.”

“I do not plan on seeing them any time soon,” Cooper says, almost matter-of-fact, as it is something that cannot be helped.

“You will have to, when they come to visit the castle, which I have invited them to do.”

“Dammit, Blaine!” Cooper throws down his shear and turns to give Blaine a harsh glare. “Why? Why on earth would you do that?”

“Because I love them, and I miss them,” Blaine says, straightening his back and squaring his jaw. “Quite frankly, I’m disappointed that you don’t feel the same.”

Cooper stares at him, eyes still crackling with anger, but Blaine thinks that he might see a little bit of fear in them as well. The unspoken truce between them is dangerously close to being broken, and Blaine does not want that in the slightest, but he will not hesitate to let his brother know exactly what he thinks if Cooper forces his hand.

Finally, Cooper breaks their eye contact by shaking his head. “You know it’s the elder sibling who is supposed to tell the younger that they’re disappointed in them?” he asks, smiling slightly.

Blaine can’t help but chuckle at that. “Look around, Cooper. Do you really think anything about where we are and who we are is ordinary?”

Cooper’s eye falls to the ring on Blaine’s finger. “No,” he says, the smile disappearing from his face. “I suppose not.”

Blaine raises the ring as he places his hand on Cooper’s arm. “Write them, Cooper,” he says softy. “They just want to know that you’re okay. I promise.”

Cooper nods solemnly, but still does not smile. “If I promise to try will that be good enough for you?”

Blaine shrugs. “I cannot order you to do something you do not want to do.”

Cooper once again looks at the ring on Blaine’s finger. Blaine looks down, too. It’s a stark contrast of gold against the white of Cooper’s shirt. “I think you will find that you can.”

“I do not want to,” Blaine clarifies. “While it would make me incredibly happy for you to write our parents and mend those relationships, I cannot force you. So, I suppose, for now, knowing you will try is good enough.”

That ends their conversation, and Blaine allows Cooper to return to his work, feeling exhausted by their short conversation. He manages to avoid any nobles on his walk back to the castle, and hurries to his bedchambers, where he takes a nap.

The only other memorable moment before the tournament occurs happens only two days before it is set to begin. Blaine is sitting in the library, reading another book of philosophy, when Brittany approaches him with an incredibly large grin on her face.

“The most wonderful thing has just happened.”

Blaine raises an eyebrow, curious. He sets the book aside and leans forward, closer to Brittany. “Tell me, please.”

Brittany crouches in front of him so that they are at eye level. “I know that I am not supposed to involve you in preparations for the tournament, but I simply cannot keep this to myself. A mysterious knight has signed up for the tournament!”

Her grin, if anything, grows, and her eyes sparkle as she says the words. Blaine, however, is confused. “A mysterious knight?”

Brittany nods quickly. “I was visiting the knights at the inn, making sure everybody knew what slots they had been allotted for the first day, as well as checking that they were doing all right. Then, the innkeeper approached me and said that a mysterious man had appeared the night before and insisted he be lodged in the inn since he was to compete in the tournament. The innkeeper did not recognize him, as he wore his armour, but allowed him to remain for the night. He asked me if I knew who the man was, and I told him no, of course, I thought all the knights had already arrived.

“So together we went to the knight’s room. He answered the door, and while he was not in his armour, he wore a hood that covered his hair and eyes, and a kerchief that covered the rest of his face. He’s so tall, Blaine, and quite handsome!”

“You said you could not see his face. How would you know he is handsome?”

Brittany rolls her eyes at him. “He is handsome because he is a mystery, of course! Besides, the clothes he wore did not conceal the wonderful body he has. His shoulders alone convince me that he is, indeed, a knight.”

“I see,” Blaine says, ashamed to admit that he is becoming increasingly curious about this knight. “Please, tell me more.”

“Well, I told the knight that I was in charge of the arrangements for the tournament, but that I did not know him. He admits that he was not originally entered in the tournament, but hoped that we would allow him to enter regardless. He had enough gold with him for the entrance fee, which is surprising, because he claims to be an independent knight.”

That is surprising. There are only two other knights entering independently, and both are the daughters of nobility and it is their parents who are paying the entrance fee. Whoever this man is, he must be noble.

“An independent knight? Did he claim where he was from?”

Brittany shakes her head. “All he said was that he was from the North, which could really be anywhere. Oh, isn’t it so exciting Blaine! Who knows who he could be!”

“Did he give a name?” Blaine wonders, and Brittany nods quickly.

“Sir Smith,” she says. “This is so incredibly wonderful, Blaine! The tournament was going to be exciting enough, but now it is twice as exciting as before! A mysterious knight from the North, can you imagine?”

Blaine cannot, in fact, imagine, but he is intrigued. He cannot wait to see the beginning of the tournament and watch this mystery knight in action.

“I must go now,” Brittany says, leaning forward and kissing his cheek. “I have to rearrange the fights to include Sir Smith. What a wonderful day, Blaine!”

She hurries off before he can say his own goodbye, leaving Blaine alone with a racing heart and red cheeks.

He spends some time wondering about this Sir Smith; what he might look like, how he might fight. He isn’t immune to a good mystery, after all.

Unfortunately, it isn’t long before he finds his thoughts have somehow shifted away from Sir Smith and the tournament, and toward Kurt. It’s frustrating, how his thoughts are never far from Kurt. With a sigh, he places his book back on the shelf and retreats to his chambers, deciding to prepare for dinner early.

Although he knows it will only cause more trouble for himself, he longs for Kurt’s return. The longer he hears nothing of Kurt’s whereabouts, the more frustrated he becomes. While he knows that seeing Kurt once more can only bring him heartache, he finds himself pining for a mere glimpse of Kurt’s beautiful face.

As he quietly and slowly prepares for the evening, he wishes that the next few days would hurry and pass as quickly as possible. He needs a distraction, and he knows the tournament will be the perfect one. Especially if there is a mysterious knight competing.

Yes, once the tournament begins, Blaine knows that Kurt will finally be far from his mind.

Only two more days.

**

Burt is very visibly frustrated on the day the tournament begins.

They ride down to the stadium together, both in their best clothes, but Burt has been creating wrinkles in his tunic for the past five minutes by clenching it as though it killed his mother.

“Burt,” Blaine finally says as they enter the capital. “What’s wrong?”

Burt shakes his head. “My son,” he says, voice low with anger. “He should have been here at least one week before the tournament began. Now, the tournament is beginning, and he is nowhere to be found. I have not received word from him in weeks. It simply isn’t proper.”

“Perhaps his correspondence has been lost? Or he is simply very busy with all the peace treaties.”

“It isn’t proper,” Burt repeats, still shaking his head.

Blaine bites his lip and doesn’t say anything more.

**

Blaine knows exactly where he and Burt are going to sit for the tournament, but he still lets himself be led by a servant. The servant leads them to a raised platform placed at a perfectly advantageous position in the arena. There are three large chairs, not quite thrones but, quite frankly, close enough, and Blaine does not miss the way that Burt glares at the empty third.

It seems they are the last to arrive, which Blaine supposes is proper. The entire arena is standing as they climb the stairs to the platform, and the large row of knights in the centre of the arena have their hands on their chests.

Blaine tries to distinguish Sir Smith from the rest, but honestly, he can barely tell who any of them are, only remembering a few based on the colour of their armour. To be quite frank, he isn’t entirely sure which one is Lady Hudson.

When they reach their seats, they stand in front of them as the herald announces their arrival. Once he is finished, Burt raises his hand and says, “Please, be seated,” in a calm, low voice, that Blaine is sure nobody but himself, the herald, and the servant heard. Everybody seems to understand, though, and the arena is filled with noise as everybody moves to sit at once.

Burt glances at Blaine, and begins to sit himself. Blaine hurries to follow, sliding himself to the back of the chair so that he may sit as straight as possible, wanting to appear regal. It’s a little hard to do so, as his feet do not even touch the ground in that position.

The herald blows his trumpet once they are both seated and begins to explain the rules of the tournament, rules that Blaine himself drafted.

They are simple enough. In order to determine the top ten knights of the kingdom, every knight will participate in several jousting tournaments throughout the first three weeks of the tournament. Every joust will have a victor, who will continue in the tournament, while the loser is eliminated. After this time there will be a few days of respite, and then the knights will return to fight each other in hand-to-hand combat in order to determine the ultimate victor of the tournament.

After that, the herald begins to introduce the knights.

Almost every name is familiar to Blaine, as he has spent one-on-one time with a large majority of these knights and their nobles. It’s strange though, to match the people he previously met with the knight standing in the sand, fully armoured, a jousting spear at their side. It almost feels surreal, as though the people he met were a mere mirage, and the knights before him are their true form.

When Lady Hudson is announced, Blaine notices the way Burt’s chest puffs with pride and how he sits slightly straighter. Blaine emulates his position, and claps a little harder than he has for the rest of the presented knights.

Several more knights pass until finally the herald is announcing, “Sir Smith, of the Northern Realm.”

The knight steps forward and, quite frankly, Blaine is a little underwhelmed. The man is not particularly tall, nor does he seem extraordinarily muscular and strong. He is, in fact, smaller and slighter than the two knights standing at his side.

Still, the mystery remains. The herald simply stated that he is from the Northern Realm, which includes four different cities. His armour is perfectly ambiguous, a simple silver, no city colours to distinguish him from the rest. There is no plume on his helmet, which has remained firmly on his head, unlike most knights who are holding theirs at their side. It is impossible to know where he comes from, which still leaves Blaine entirely in the dark.

The knight bows briefly to Burt and then, for much longer, to Blaine. The crowd murmurs as the knight makes a point to remain bowed to the future consort for many seconds longer than he bowed to the King, and Blaine glances at Burt, who has simply raised an eyebrow. Once he’s straightened, the knight moves back into the line, leaving Blaine with a racing heart and an even stronger desire to know more.

He barely pays attention as the last of the knights are introduced, eyes remaining on the mysterious Sir Smith. Who is this knight? What does he mean by so openly defying the King’s power and authority? He must be incredibly confident in his skills, to do something like that. To be perfectly frank, Blaine is beginning to hope that Sir Smith will be one of the first to compete, so that he may sooner see his abilities in action.

Once all the knights are announced, the herald calls upon the first eight who will compete, telling the rest that they are free to enter the stands, or to return to the inn for some rest. Blaine is excited to hear both Lady Hudson’s and Sir Smith’s names within the first eight, though slightly concerned that they will be matched against one another, which will inevitably end with Sir Smith being eliminated within the first round. Clearly the man is confident in his abilities, but no amount of confidence can beat Lady Hudson.

There is a brief intermission as the arena is prepared for the jousts. Blaine and Burt share a few short words, but Blaine can tell that Burt’s earlier frustration has only grown since the moment with Sir Smith. Blaine attempts to distract him from what happened, but finds he cannot ever hold the conversation very long. It is frustrating, and is beginning to dampen Blaine’s own spirits, which he desperately wishes to avoid. He has been excited for this tournament for quite some time now, and he does not want his fiancé’s terrible mood to ruin the first day for him.

Finally, the herald announces the first joust. Lady Hudson is to face the knight from Carmel, Sir Kiehl. Blaine presses his lips together, attempting not to laugh. It looks like Duke St. James is going to be eating his words a lot sooner than expected.

The joust begins, and Blaine watches with extreme enthusiasm. Every point that Lady Hudson gains further enlarges the smile on his face. It isn’t long before she is able to unhorse Sir Kiehl, the smaller knight falling to the ground with a loud _oomph_ that even Blaine hears.

Blaine stands to cheer with the rest of the crowd, clapping with excitement and shouting his congratulations to Lady Hudson. Lady Hudson dismounts her horse, aids Sir Kiehl in standing as well, and then bows to Burt and Blaine, making sure to remain bowed longer for Burt. Blaine notices the way a small smile ticks at the corner of Burt’s mouth at the action, and it makes Blaine smile as well. He is glad that at least somebody could pull the King out of his mood.

There is another brief intermission, during which Burt and Blaine talk only of Lady Hudson’s win, and how disheartened Duke St. James must be at his inevitable loss.

The second joust begins soon after, the preparation time shorter than the former. While it is still exciting to watch, Blaine does not feel particularly invested in either knight. He still shouts and cheers when the knight from York unhorses the knight from Bushwick, but it is not nearly as loud as he had cheered for Lady Hudson.

The third joust is equally uneventful, but Blaine still enjoys it. He has never been to a tournament before, and he has to admit, even if the events unfolding in the arena weren’t incredibly interesting and entertaining, the enthusiasm of the crowd would be enough to raise his excitement. The winner of the joust is crowned, the knight Blaine recognizes as Lady July’s, and the loser exits the arena with slumped shoulders, their helmet askew from when they fell off their horse.

After a final intermission, the last knights enter the arena. Blaine sits up straighter at the sight of Sir Smith, not even thinking that his feet dangle further from the ground than before. He watches as he mounts his horse and faces his opponent, a knight Blaine does not recognize. He is sure the herald announced their names only moments ago, but Blaine cannot seem to tear his eyes away from Sir Smith. He may be unremarkable, but Brittany was correct. The mystery surrounding him all but makes up for what he seems to lack in physicality. The sun glints off his silver helmet, and Blaine wonders what his face might look like behind the metal.

The horn is blown and the horses begin to gallop. It takes a mere second for Blaine to see that Sir Smith’s horse is far faster and more aggressive than his opponent’s, and when they meet each other, his jousting sword hits the other knight in the center of their armour, and the knight instantly flies off their horse.

For a moment everything is silent. This is, by far, the most remarkable thing that has happened so far. To unhorse an opponent on the very first run--even Blaine knows that that is almost unheard of.

Blaine is the first to stand and begin to cheer for the knight, and soon the entire crowd is on their feet, the sound of the cheering arena almost deafening. Even Burt stands up, albeit begrudgingly, and claps for Sir Smith, who is still astride his horse, facing Burt and Blaine.

The knight finally dismounts his horse and bows. The crowd is so overawed by his abilities that nobody seems to notice the fact that this time he bows to Blaine first, and then to Burt.

Burt notices, though, and so does Blaine. He can feel his fiancé bristling beside him, though he continues to clap politely. Blaine cannot help but smile, however. Sir Smith has made his intentions very clear. He may have entered independently, but he is dedicating this joust to Blaine.

His skin prickles in excitement. He wonders if the knight will dedicate all his jousts to him. The mere thought makes his heart race in excitement.

The herald blows his trumpet until the crowd settles down. He then announces the winners of the four jousts, as well as the names of the eight knights who will compete in the next round. Blaine only half listens, still thinking of the marvellous display he has just been privy to, and how it was for _him_.

He knows he must meet this Sir Smith. Perhaps not tonight, for he does not want to further enrage the King, but before the end of the tournament. He must meet this mysterious knight who has made himself the man to fear within the first day. He must meet his secret champion, the man he does not know but who nonetheless fights on his behalf.

He and Burt are the first to leave the arena, but only after the herald has announced their names one last time. Burt walks ahead of him, his shoulders tight, and Blaine trails behind, trying not to be too obvious about his good mood.

**

Most of the ride back to the castle is made in silence. Blaine fiddles with the hem of his shirt, but cannot keep the smile off his face despite the awkwardness in the air. The first day of the tournament has far exceeded his expectations, and he is more than excited for the next day.

Finally, when they are almost at the castle gates, Burt says, “I am surprised you did not want to stay behind and speak to your beloved Sir Smith.”

Bitterness and jealousy seep into every word, and both emotions are extremely ugly on the King.

“He performed exceedingly well. You cannot deny it.”

“He was also incredibly disrespectful.”

Blaine raises an eyebrow. “You mean in his bows? I found no disrespect in them.”

“They were not disrespectful to _you_.”

Blaine’s eyebrow raises even further. “Is not this tournament for me? You have told me many times that that is the case. This tournament is your engagement present to me, or so you say. Yet you are angry when people show respect to the person to whom the tournament is dedicated? I do not understand your anger, Burt.”

“I am _King_ , Blaine. I hold a certain power and authority in this court, and no matter who an event is for, that authority must be respected.”

Blaine bristles at both the words and the angry tone behind them. “You told me that if I accepted your proposal that we would be equals.”

Burt freezes at that, clearly not expecting those words. “What?”

“Before I said yes, you told me that we could be equals if I accepted your proposal. Yet now I have accepted it, and still we are not equals. Are we not equals until we marry? Until we have children? What marker must we pass before you consider me your equal, Burt?”

Burt stares at him for several moments, then sags his shoulders and lets out a long breath. “I am sorry, Blaine,” he says softly, reaching a hand out to take Blaine’s. “I am frustrated at my son, not at you, and when Sir Smith seemed to entirely dismiss me in favour of you, well, it only exacerbated the emotion.” He smiles and squeezes Blaine’s hand. “You are right. This tournament is for you, and he was only showing his respect to the man of the hour. I should not be angry at him, and definitely not at you, for that.”

The instant change in attitude almost makes Blaine’s jaw drop. While only moments ago he worried that Burt would begin to stomp his feet like a child having a tantrum, now he feels like he is in the presence of a mature and benevolent King.

One who most definitely sees Blaine as his equal.

Burt’s thumb runs over the ring on Blaine’s finger, and Blaine shudders slightly. What an incredibly difference a piece of simple jewelry can make.

“Thank you,” Blaine says. “I accept your apology.”

Burt leans forward and kisses him lightly on the lips. “I am sorry to sour the day in such a way. I hope you had fun today, despite my rotten attitude.”

Blaine smiles, his heart fluttering happily at the memories of the day. “I did indeed. This was the best engagement present you could have given me.”

The carriage comes to a stop, jolting both of them slightly. Blaine did not even see when they entered the castle grounds. He looks out the window and, indeed, they are standing by the foot of the stairs leading to the doors.

The carriage door is open, and Blaine allows Burt to step out first. He follows shortly after, enjoying the soft _thud_ his boots make as they hit the dirt.

A single man awaits them at the steps of the castle, one Blaine has not seen many times, but knows is a messenger.

“Your Majesty,” the man greets as soon as they are within hearing distance. He bows low, and remains there for several moments. When he rises, Burt nods his head in acknowledgement of the bow.

“Do you have a message for me?” Burt asks when the messenger remains silent.

“News from the North,” the messenger says. “Word has spread to the Northern Realm that the Prince of Essex has wed.”

Blaine’s heart stops in his chest.

“To my son?” Burt asks quickly, his eyes widening.

The messenger replies, “It is unknown at this time who his spouse is. Apparently it was a quick and quiet ceremony, with barely any guests in attendance. They passed by Carmel on the way to their honeymoon, and some of Duke St. James gardeners saw the Prince looking out the window in a wedding jacket. News of his marriage began to spread soon after.”

“Thank you,” Burt says, reaching into the pouch tied at his side and placing a silver coin in the man’s hand. “Please, come to me as soon as you hear any news in regards to the identity of the Prince’s spouse.”

“Of course, Your Majesty. Thank you, Your Majesty,” and with another bow the man has scampered away.

Burt turns to Blaine, his smile now as large as Blaine’s had been all day. “You were right. They have eloped. He has not written because they are on their honeymoon. Oh, thank god, Blaine, you were right!”

While the messenger did not communicate that exactly, Blaine knows there is little room for argument. The facts all align. Burt’s excitement is not in vain.

Prince Adam of Essex has wedded Prince Kurt of Lima.

“I am quite happy for you, Burt,” Blaine says, forcing the largest smile he can allow himself. “As I am for my close friend. I only wish that he would return soon so that we may all bask in this happiness together.”

“I wish the same,” Burt says. “What a happy day this has turned out to be! By god, I hope he writes soon.”

Blaine nods, then feigns a sigh and says, “I am very sorry, but you must excuse me, Burt. I seem to be contracting a headache similar to those I had during our tour of the kingdom. I think I will excuse myself for the evening, as I wish to be better by tomorrow morning to watch the tournament.”

Even that cannot wipe the smile off of the King’s face. “Yes, of course, you must rest. Oh, what exciting news! Please, yes, rest, so that we may enjoy this fantastic development, as well as the continuation of the tournament tomorrow. Rest well, my love.”

He leans down and kisses Blaine’s cheek, a kiss Blaine graciously accepts before taking his leave.

He manages to remain calm until he reaches the concubine chambers. Once inside, however, he feels he can no longer take it. He runs toward his bedchambers, tears already gathering in his eyes. He thinks he hears Elliott call his name, but he does not stop until he is inside of his bedchambers and the lock has been flipped so that he cannot be bothered.

His knees give out and soon he is on the floor, back against the door, head buried in his knees.

His sobs are absolutely uncontrollable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [rebloggable on tumblr](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153361125735/the-life-ahead-312)


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is coming a day late. Thank you for your patience and for all your wonderful comments <3 I love you all so much. As always, please make sure to check out the [extended warnings for this fic](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost) <3 I hope you enjoy, and sorry for the wait :)

Blaine spends the next week with his emotions in flux. When he is at the tournament, watching the jousts, cheering along with the crowd, he feels happier than he has been for some time. When he is in the castle, regardless of if he is alone or surrounded by people, he feels a strong mix of devastation and frustration.

Frustration at himself, of course. He has not been able to set aside his love for Kurt, which he has to if he is ever to be happy in the life he has chosen. As well, he is frustrated at how wrapped up in the tour and tournament he has become. When he was on the tour, all he could think of was seeing his parents and getting away from nobles. Now, back at the castle, all he thinks of is the tournament and Kurt.

The only thing he has done to somewhat further his plan was to ask Burt to be chaste until their wedding, and the fact that it worked as well as it did was unexpected, and not at all what Blaine planned for. The truth is, he only asked to abstain so that he did not have to engage in any sexual contact with Burt for as long as he could. But in the entire time they have been engaged, Blaine has not seen Burt call for any other concubine, and nothing in the behaviour of the other concubines suggests that they have been called on under the cover of darkness.

So all he’s really managed to do is stand up for himself several times, and accidentally stop Burt from calling on his other concubines.

All the while Kurt was in Essex ensuring peace and marrying another man.

He is a fraud, a silly boy from Westerville caught up in the extravagance of being a future King. He needs to start taking action, going beyond accidentally aiding the other concubines. He has a long term plan, but it will never come to fruition if he does not take the first steps.

He just has to wait until the opportune moment.

**

Burt seems to grow further frustrated as the week continues as well. There has still been no news from the North, and Blaine can see the agitation in everything he does. He barely speaks at meals, and does not seem to be paying attention during the tournament.

He admits to Blaine that he worries he celebrated too early in vain. If Kurt were the one who wed the Prince of Essex, they would have heard confirmation at this point. Word travels fast, and the elopement of two Princes should be in all the papers by now. Yet, every morning as they pass through town, all Blaine sees in the papers are the results from the previous day’s joust, and predictions on who the final ten will be.

Blaine cannot even find it in himself to reassure his fiancé that everything is most likely fine. He’s already told Burt more times than he can bear that he is sure Kurt and Adam have married. He worries that if he says it again he will burst into tears in front of everybody, and that is something that he absolutely refuses to do.

**

“Can you at least act like you’re having a good time?” Blaine whispers to Burt as the final match of the day is being set up. “This is the final joust of the first round, and the final initial elimination. Is the excitement of the crowd not as contagious to you as it is to me?”

Burt sighs and rubs his fingers at his temple, fingertips brushing the simple crown he wears. “Why has he not sent word?” he asks, his voice quiet as well. “I would think that, should the news be good, he would have sent word by now.”

Blaine shrugs gently, glancing over to the herald, who is very clearly attempting not to listen. “I do not know the answer. I wish I did, though.”

Burt smiles softly. “I do, as well,” he says. He sits up a little straighter in his seat. “Alright. I will attempt to pay attention. The crowd does, indeed, seem very excited about this.”

“As am I,” Blaine admits. “I look forward to the next round, and cannot wait to see who the final victor will be.”

Lady Lopez’s knight is competing in this round, so Blaine decides he will cheer for her. He claps as the knights are announced, and leans forward in his seat once the match commences.

It is a long match, the rivals equally matched. It is one of the longest matches yet, as Sir Smith’s earlier jousting and quick unhorsing of his opponent set a trend of aggressiveness and quick victories.

This is almost more exciting, Blaine thinks. Watching them run past each other, miss, and reposition themselves. At one point, Lady Lopez’s knight is almost knocked off her horse, but she manages to save herself. Her opponent almost loses her jousting spear, but regains her grip at the last moment.

Finally, after at least a half hour of back and forth, Lady Lopez’s knight manages to unhorse her rival. The crowd goes wild, and Blaine and Burt both stand and applaud along with them. Blaine cheers, grinning as the knight bows to each of them in turn, then blows Lady Lopez a kiss. Blaine cannot quite see where Lady Lopez is sitting, as she is slightly underneath them, but he thinks he sees a flash of blonde in that area. Perhaps Brittany is watching with her.

As the loser exits the arena, the herald announces Lady Lopez’s knight the victor, and then requests that the rest of the victor’s of the first round join her in the arena.

Every knight enters the arena. Some of them are in casual clothing, while others - such as Lady Hudson, and Sir Smith - don their armour. Sir Smith is the only knight who remains wearing his helmet, the plain silver metal completely hiding his face from the crowd.

The herald gives each of their names and congratulates them on moving on to the second round of jousts. There are thirty of them left, which means that some will have to compete multiple times in the second round, and that the elimination process will not be as black and white as it was this time.

Blaine honestly cannot wait.

The knights are dismissed, and Blaine watches as Sir Smith disappears with the rest.

He so desperately wishes to meet this mysterious man. Aside from Kurt, it has practically been all that is on his mind over the past week.

He glances at Burt, and sees that, although it is clear that he is trying his best, there is still tension in his muscles.

Today is most definitely not the day to attempt and visit Sir Smith.

“I am ready to leave now,” Blaine says, and sees the way Burt practically sags in relief. He nods and then gestures to the herald that they are leaving. The man blows his trumpet and announces their departure. Blaine places his hand on Burt’s forearm, hoping it will help to give him some inner peace.

It doesn’t. He can feel how the muscles under the King’s shirt remain tense until they reach their carriage. It’s too bad, because at this point in time, it really is the only type of support that Blaine can offer him.

**

They are the first to return to the palace, and Blaine sees the way Burt looks desperately out the window, clearly hoping to see a messenger waiting for them.

There is only a servant, and Blaine watches as Burt sags into his seat in disappointment.

Blaine chats inanely about his hopes for dinner that day, hoping to distract the King. Burt, unfortunately, only replies in nods and “Uh-huh’s.” They exit the carriage slowly, and Blaine attempts to keep the conversation going, but he can sense that Burt is not in it.

He sighs and quietly says, “I am sure that you will hear from him soon.”

Burt doesn’t reply, but he does reach down and take Blaine’s hand. Blaine supposes that is a victory.

**

Dinner is an awkward affair.

The nobles whose knights have lost dominate the conversation, clearly attempting to prove that they still deserve a place at the table. Duke St. James is the loudest of all, claiming that he is actually glad that it was his knight that faced Lady Hudson, as he is confident enough in his armies and prowess to accept the defeat.

Burt briefly talks to Blaine about Blaine’s desires for tonight’s dinner, and whether or not they have been fulfilled, but that is the only thing he says for the duration of the meal. The nobles, thankfully, notice his foul mood and do not attempt to engage him in conversation, keeping themselves occupied with each other instead.

Blaine is not sure what his duty is in this situation. Should he engage the nobles, join their frivolous conversations in which they attempt to raise themselves up despite their defeat? Or, does he remain silent in support of his future husband? Or, an even more terrifying prospect, does he attempt to make Burt engage with his nobles in an effort to ease the tension?

Uncertainty leads to him mainly staying silent, as he simply does not know what to say. If a noble speaks to him, he speaks back, but he does not fully engage in conversations. He feels that staying silent is not the proper way to go about this, but he isn’t sure what the proper way is.

He has absolutely no idea how he is ever going to be King.

**

Dinner ends thankfully much earlier than usual. Blaine is beyond ready to head to bed, but before he can even stand up and make his excuses, a servant hurries into the room and rushes up to Burt.

“Your son, Your Majesty,” the servant says, clearly out of breath. “He has returned.”

Burt stands up and instantly follows the servant out of the room. All the nobles stare, shocked.

It takes Blaine a moment to catch up, but soon enough he is forcing himself out of his seat as well and hurrying to follow Burt and the servant.

Seeing Kurt for the first time in months is like being punched in the stomach. He looks absolutely stunning, hair high above his head, eyes somehow still sparkling even long after the sun has set. Blaine wants to run to him, to throw himself at him, to be held in those arms and lose himself in the warmth of him.

Instead he stops just behind Burt, breath caught in his throat, trying not to let on just how deeply he is reacting to seeing the Crown Prince once more.

“Kurt,” Burt says, breathless.

Kurt turns to him, and raises an eyebrow. “Father.”

Burt, clearly unimpressed, steps forward. “You do not contact me in weeks, you leave me without news for _weeks_ , and that is all you have to say?”

Kurt glances behind him, and his eyes meet Blaine’s. Blaine’s lips part, and he inhales sharply.

Kurt presses his lips together, then moves his eyes back to his father’s. “It was difficult to explain over message. I felt it better to simply explain in person.”

“Could you not have at least sent a note saying that you were returning soon?”

Small dots of pink appear on Kurt’s cheeks, and he once again glances at Blaine before he speaks. “I made the journey in as little time as I could. I left with very little notice. I did not quite have the time for note sending.”

Burt glances around the castle foyer and seems to notice for the first time that they are not alone. He shakes his head and gestures to Kurt, saying, “Follow me. We will talk privately.”

He disappears without so much as a look at Blaine. Blaine barely notices though, eyes still stuck on the man he truly loves. The man he has not seen for over two months.

Kurt walks past him as he goes to follow his father. He lowers his voice and says, “It’s good to see you, Blaine.”

Shivers run down Blaine’s spine, and he watches Kurt go with wide eyes and parted lips.

It is only when Kurt is turning the corner that he notices the excessive swing of his arms as he walks, drawing Blaine’s attention to Kurt’s hands.

He sucks in a breath and nearly bursts into tears of relief.

There is not a single ring on Kurt’s fingers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153528985425/the-life-ahead-412)


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t have much to say about this chapter, other than I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :) A big thanks, once again, to my lovely beta mailroomorder who is awesome and incredible and just overall the best. And, as always, please make sure to check out the [extended warnings for this fic](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost)

Blaine skips breakfast, unsure if he’ll be able to be so close to Kurt without smiling the entire damn time, or touching him, or doing something else that may alert the entire nobility of Lima to the nature of their relationship. Well, previous relationship.

The problem is, Blaine was very certain in his decision to put an end to his relationship with Kurt when he decided to say yes to the King, but that was several months ago. He did not expect that his feelings for Kurt would linger so dramatically, especially considering they’ve been apart for almost the entirety of that time.

Yet they have. All Blaine has been able to think about lately is Kurt, and that has only worsened with Kurt’s return. Blaine was barely able to sleep the night before, laying awake for hours wondering where Kurt was, if he was still talking to Burt, if he was in his chambers, why he didn’t wear a ring.

Blaine worries he will have to confront Kurt when they head out to the tournament, but Burt tells him that Kurt has decided to skip today’s events so that he may sleep instead. Apparently he spent the entirety of the previous day journeying, and he is incredibly exhausted.

He manages to wait until they are halfway to the tournament before he asks, “Are our peace agreements with Essex safe?”

It’s not what he really wants to ask, but he does not think it would be appropriate for him to ask what he truly desires. Besides, this way sounds rather kingly. Or so he thinks.

Burt groans. “Do not speak to me of that. I am quite unhappy with all the business that my son has conducted behind my back.”

Blaine presses his lips together, waiting. Sure enough, it is only moments before Burt begins speaking once more.

“Apparently when they returned to the Essex court, Kurt was made aware of a strong love connection that Prince Adam had with one of his concubines. Because he is too tender-hearted for his own good, he began negotiations that would ensure the peace of our kingdoms, while also allowing Adam to marry whom he pleased.”

Blaine has to hold his breath to ensure he doesn’t sigh in relief. “So the man Prince Adam married…”

“Was not my son, no,” he shakes his head as he said. “He is such a stubborn, thick-headed boy. He does whatever damn well pleases him.”

“But our peace agreements are safe, are they not?”

“Yes, but not as safe as they would be should Kurt have married their Prince,” Burt says, surprisingly controlled despite the obvious anger he feels. He rubs a hand over his face, causing his crown to push up his forehead.

Blaine places a hand on his shoulder. “You know Kurt,” he says, trying not to betray just how well he knows Kurt. “If he can do something kind for somebody else, he will.”

Burt sighs. “I understand why he did it,” he says, voice defeated. “I just wish he’d included me in the process.”

“He won’t be able to include you in the process when you are gone and he is King,” Blaine says softly. “He’s just being a Prince. A stubborn, thick-headed Prince, yes. But still a Prince.”

Burt looks down at him, his lips slowly curving into a smile. “Why did you ever believe you would not be a good king?” he asks, wrapping an arm around Blaine’s shoulders. He presses a kiss to Blaine’s temple, and Blaine relaxes into his hold.

He remains there for the rest of the ride, eyes closing after a few moments, desperately trying not to imagine Kurt’s arm around him instead.

**

Three jousts are scheduled, and Blaine’s heart beats quicker when he hears Sir Smith’s name among the competitors. Thankfully Lady Hudson is not competing today, so there is still a chance that the two of them will advance to the final stage.

The first two jousts are fun to watch, but not memorable. The first is long, far too drawn out, and Blaine does not know if it is because both knights are amazing at jousting, or if they are simply equally as terrible. Finally a victor is announced, and Blaine cheers loudly, more for it being done than for the winner.

The second joust isn’t too long, but nothing interesting happens. One knight disarms the other, and that is that. Blaine cheers as well, though this time it is in preparation for what is to come.

He is practically squirming in his seat as he waits for the arena to be prepared for the final joust. He can feel Burt’s eyes on him, and he glances over to see his fiancé staring with a raised eyebrow. “Yes?” Blaine asks, raising an eyebrow of his own. Burt shakes his head and says, “Nothing, nothing,” but Blaine can still feel his judgemental gaze.

It does not matter to him. He’s seen the way the King looks at Lady Hudson. Blaine’s feelings of curiosity for Sir Smith are nowhere near the obvious passion Burt feels for _his_ favourite knight.

Finally, the knights enter the arena. Sir Smith is already wearing his helmet, while his opponent only places his on his head when the herald sounds the trumpet.

Blaine leans forward in his seat, grinning when Sir Smith makes a purposeful effort to look up at him and nod his head as he mounts his horse. Blaine nods his head back, and hopes that Sir Smith is smiling behind his helmet.

He wonders if this joust will go the same route that Sir Smith’s first joust went. As soon as the horses start running, Blaine sees that the knight is galloping as aggressively as he did that first time. Unfortunately, the other knight seems to be aware of his tactic and swerves out of the way just in time. Both slow their horses to an easy trot, neither having hit the other.

The crowd gasps at the near miss. Blaine leans forward, pressing his hands to his lips as he watches, heart beating wildly in his chest.

The knights turn around when they reach the edge of the arena, pausing briefly to resettle themselves and catch their breath. Then, they start to run at each other again. This time Sir Smith’s opponent manages to hit him square in the chest - while somehow managing to avoid being hit himself - but somehow the man remains atop his horse.

“He’s incredible,” Blaine whispers.

“He must be, to have yourself as such an ardent supporter,” Burt says. “One might think you want him to win over Lady Hudson.”

Blaine chuckles and shakes his head. He does not take his eyes off the match. “Lady Hudson is going to win whether I cheer for her or not. I might as well cheer for the underdog, no?”

The King does not respond, and the two knights run at each other again.

This time it is Sir Smith who hits his opponent in the middle of the chest, and the other knight falls off his horse with a heavy _thump_.

The crowd is instantly on their feet, cheering another incredible victory for Sir Smith. Blaine jumps up and begins to clap as well, then cups his hands over his mouth and cheers.

Sir Smith dismounts his horse, and once again bows to Blaine and then to Burt. Blaine hears Burt humph, and glances over to see his fiancé has crossed his arms.

“I do not think that man is an underdog,” he says solemnly. Blaine bites his lip, but continues clapping along with the crowd.

No. Perhaps he is not.

**

Although there were only three matches today, the length of the first one has caused them to return to the castle at almost the same time as they have in previous days. Blaine kisses Burt on the cheek and tells him that he is going to change and then go for a walk before dinner. Burt nods and then turns to a guard and asks if Kurt has remained in his chambers all day. As Blaine walks away, he barely hears the guard reply that he has.

**

The nobles no longer swarm the gardens during their time off, and Blaine is incredibly thankful for it. In fact, he is quite sure that most nobles spend as much time as they can with their knights, especially those who still have knights in the running.

He makes sure to steer clear of the path that leads to the stables. Although Kurt has apparently been in bed resting all day, that does not mean that he won’t decide to go for an evening ride. He knows better than to go to the stables when Kurt is around.

He walks for some time, thinking quietly to himself. He finds that, in the few moments he is not thinking of Kurt, his mind wanders to Sir Smith. What is it about that knight that has him so captivated? He has never been particularly interested in mysteries, nor does he particularly care to solve them.

It cannot only be that the knight is obviously dedicating his fights to Blaine, although that does make a puddle of warmth pool in Blaine’s belly. No, Blaine was curious even before seeing the knight for the first time.

He probably should spend less time thinking about a mysterious knight and the man he should no longer love, and more time thinking of how he will go about bringing the change to the kingdom he desires.

Of course, Blaine has an entire lifetime ahead of him to attempt to make change. Is it so bad that for now he wants to enjoy the tournament being thrown for him, and the mysterious knight who is fighting on his behalf?

“Blaine!”

He is brought out of his thoughts when he hears Brittany calling him. He turns around and his heart stops in his chest when he sees that she is accompanied by Lady Lopez and Kurt.

His eyes meet Kurt’s, and his breath catches in his throat. Kurt’s hair is in disarray, as though he did not bother to comb it after waking, and his cheeks are still red from sleep. He smiles at Blaine, and Blaine feels every one of his resolves fading.

“Blaine,” Kurt greets with a short bow. Blaine bows in return.

“Your Highness.”

“So formal,” Kurt says, smiling softly. He glances at Lady Lopez and Brittany, and says, “Ladies, you will not mind entertaining yourselves for some moments? I would like to speak with Blaine privately.”

The ladies nod and hurry away. Blaine watches them go, trying to think of a reason to not be alone with Kurt. Aside from his own worries that he will throw himself on the man as soon as the women are out of eyesight, he cannot think of any.

Before the women turn a corner, Blaine sees Lady Lopez extend a hand, and watches as Brittany takes it eagerly, lacing their fingers together. His jaw drops, and his eyes instantly go to Kurt, shocked that they would be so blatant in front of him.

He did not realize the two were having an affair. Considering their lack of care and his closeness with Brittany, he is rather surprised at not knowing sooner.

“It’s all right,” Kurt says, smiling as the two women disappear. “I’ve known about them for quite some time.”

“Does it not bother you?” Blaine asks, shocked that Kurt would be so cavalier about this. “She is your concubine, after all. She is being unfaithful.”

“Is it infidelity if I condone it?” Kurt asks, raising a questioning eyebrow. Blaine’s eyes widen, and Kurt smiles. “I’ve known how Brittany feels since the first time she and Santana met. It was incredibly obvious to me.” He looks down at the ground, his smile turning softer. “Why should I stand in the way of their love?” He raises his gaze back to where the women have disappeared, then turns to look at Blaine. “It’s actually part of why I was so willing to marry Adam,” he says softly. “I knew Brittany was set on marrying me, but I also knew she would be unhappy in the marriage. Santana is noble, and cannot become her concubine. Becoming engaged to Adam seemed like a simple way to end our previous engagement.”

Blaine presses his lips together. He knows what he would say, should he and Kurt still be together. But as it is…

“I can see you thinking,” Kurt says, chuckling quietly. “Go on. You can say whatever is on your mind.”

Blaine sighs, and looks toward where the women went. “Even if you and Brittany do not marry, she still cannot be with Santana. Not really. She is still your concubine, and as such, she is bound to you.”

Kurt smiles. “I know,” he says, bringing his arms behind his back, linking his hands together there. “Which is why I plan on releasing her.”

Blaine’s eyes instantly widen. “What?!”

“I’m going to release her, and elevate her status so that she is noble. She and Santana will be free to marry.”

“You…” Blaine cannot think of what to say. He presses his lips together once more, heart rate picking up once more.

This is not good. He should not be here, alone, with Kurt. He should not have allowed Brittany and Lady Lopez to leave. He should not have come for a walk at all.

Kurt sighs and once more looks to the ground. “I thought it would help,” he says quietly. “Being away from you. I thought it would make it easier to let you go.”

“Kurt, please,” Blaine says, voice a hoarse whisper. He can already feel tears pooling in the corners of his eyes.

“I thought of you all the time,” Kurt says, despite Blaine’s protest. “Especially when I spent time with Adam and Theo. All I could think of was being like that with you. Being able to touch you in public, hold your hand,” he turns toward Blaine, and Blaine sees that there are tears in his own eyes as well. “Marry you.”

Blaine feels a sob catch in his throat. He _yearns_ , so deeply. He wants Kurt back in his arms, wants to kiss his beautiful lips and press himself to his wonderful body. How is it possible for him to miss somebody who is standing right beside him?

“We can’t,” he manages, a tear slipping down his cheek. “You know that if there were any way…”

Kurt takes a step toward him. His hands come up and cup Blaine’s cheeks, tilting his face upward. Their eyes meet, Blaine’s lips still half-open around his unfinished sentence. Blaine feels as though Kurt’s eyes are burning a hole into his soul, one that he welcomes eagerly. He wants Kurt’s eyes on him always, wants his hands cradling his face so gently for the rest of his life.

Slowly, carefully, Kurt leans down and presses a soft kiss to Blaine’s upper lip. It is nothing like the first kiss they shared so many months ago, nor is it like any of the passion-filled kisses that followed it. This one is sweet, gentle. Precious.

They part far too soon. “Kurt…” Blaine whispers, voice cracking around the name.

“I know,” Kurt says, leaning forward to press their foreheads together. Blaine can feel his warm breath near his lips, and it takes all the willpower he has not to tip his head up and meet him in another kiss.

“I wish -” Blaine has to pause to sniffle, tears now flowing freely down his face. “I wish more than anything-”

“I know,” Kurt repeats. “I know.”

“I love you, Kurt,” Blaine says, the words like anchors being lifted off his chest. “I love you, and if there was a way for us to be together, I would take it in a heartbeat.”

Kurt doesn’t reply, instead pressing his face closer to Blaine’s. He doesn’t kiss him again, though, and for that, Blaine is thankful.

“It has to be this way, don’t you see?” Blaine says, eyes shut tightly. He can feel every soft exhale coming from Kurt’s lips. “I can make a change. I can do something great. If I could do it as your husband, you know that I would.” He exhales in sharp, jagged breaths. “But I can’t.”

Kurt pulls him close, suddenly, into a warm hug. Blaine clings to his shoulders instantly, burying his face in the nook of Kurt’s shoulder. He is so warm here, so perfect. Blaine would love to stay where he is forever.

“I’m going to find a way,” Kurt says quietly. “I’m going to find a way to be with you.”

Blaine smiles, but slowly pulls away from the embrace. “Don’t make promises you cannot keep.”

Kurt doesn’t reply, simply bring a hand forward and wipes away Blaine’s tears with his thumb. “If I find a way, though,” he says, voice filled with a quiet hope. “If I find a way-”

“You know my answer, Kurt,” Blaine says. “It will never change.”

Kurt swallows thickly. He nods, and steps away.

“I truly missed you, Blaine,” he says softly.

“As did I,” Blaine replies.

He wipes under his eyes, then bows slightly, and begins to head off. He feels as though part of his heart is being left behind with Kurt. Somehow, this is worse than when Kurt told him they should take a break from their relationship. Worse than when he told Kurt he was going to say yes to Burt.

There was so much hope in Kurt’s voice, but Blaine cannot allow himself to feel that. That might be what hurts most of all.

“Blaine!”

He turns and sees Kurt taking a step toward him.

“Yes?”

Kurt takes a deep breath, then smiles despite the tears in his eyes. “Brittany has been catching me up with the happenings of the tournament. You must be excited that Lady Hudson has proceeded to the next round.”

Blaine forces a smile, thankful for the olive branch that Kurt is extending. “Do not mention this to her, but I am actually rooting for Sir Smith.”

Kurt’s eyebrows raise, and a small smile ticks at the corner of his lips. “The mysterious knight from the North?”

Blaine shrugs. “Lady Hudson is going to win regardless of who I cheer for,” he says. “What can I say? The mystery got to me.”

Kurt nods. “I cannot wait to see him fight.”

“You will not be disappointed.”

“I am sure I will not,” he replies. He looks Blaine over, licks his lips, and says, “I shall see you soon for dinner?”

“That you shall,” Blaine says. He nods his head in a short bow and says, “Your Highness.”

Kurt replicates the gesture and, very quietly replies, “Your Majesty.”

They stare at each other for several moments, and Blaine can feel the tears welling in his eyes once more. With a final forced smile, he turns on his heel and walks away.

This time, Kurt does not stop him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153663879210/the-life-ahead-512)


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE!!!!!! I'm posting this chapter a day early because i literally have no idea when i'll have the time to post it tomorrow. Things are starting to get a little more intense from this chapter onward, warnings wise, so please check out the [ extended warnings for this fic ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost) if you haven't done so already. I love you guys and I'll see you all Friday :)

Blaine isn’t ashamed to admit it - after his conversation with Kurt in the gardens, he loses himself in the tournament even more.

All he allows himself to think about is the tournament. All he talks about is the tournament. He finally gives in to the pressure of the nobles and allows them to schmooze him. He stays behind after the jousts and meets with the victors, and with the losers. He attempts several times to meet with Sir Smith, but the man seems to continuously elude him.

He watches the jousts with extreme enthusiasm, even going so far as to begin placing small bets with Burt as to who the winner of each round will be. The winner gets to choose the next meal they will eat together, and so far, they have been eating a lot of Blaine’s favourite meals.

It’s easy to ignore Kurt while the tournament is happening, because Kurt refuses to sit with them. He rarely attends the tournament as is, claiming he caught a cold while up North. But when he does he insists on sitting with Lady Lopez and Brittany. This works perfectly for Blaine, as their seats are just out of eyesight for him, so he is never tempted to watch Kurt instead of the jousts.

The jousts themselves become increasingly shorter and more competitive. It seems that Sir Smith’s aggressive style has become the norm, and unless two knights are very obviously equal in prowess the jousts are usually done within five to ten minutes. Sometimes less.

While it makes for less time spent watching the tournament, it certainly allows for more spirited conversations afterwards. Blaine and Burt have taken to teasing each other on the carriage rides back to the castle about whomever lost their silly little bets. As the numbers wind down, more and more nobles begin to place actual bets on who will be the ultimate winner of the tournament, as well as who will be in the final ten.

Blaine knows for certain who two of the final ten will be. So far, Lady Hudson and Sir Smith are the only two knights that are completely undefeated. Many knights have gotten second chances after a lost joust, allowing them to move on, but Lady Hudson and Sir Smith have never needed that. They enter the arena, they win, they bow, they leave. It’s been incredible to watch.

As the weeks pass and the numbers dwindle, Blaine begins to wonder if Lady Hudson and Sir Smith not being paired against each other is purposeful. He, of course, cannot be the only one who has noticed that they are the only two who never lose their jousts. Perhaps Brittany and the other organizers have already decided that they do not want the two to face off until the final rounds.

Actually, Blaine would bet anything that they will be _the_ final two.

By the time the final joust in the first round has finished, with Lady Hudson sitting triumphant on her horse, while Lady Lopez’s knight pulls herself up off the ground, Blaine is quite certain that he knows how this is going to end.

He cannot wait to watch it happen.

**

Blaine and Burt stay behind for some time after the final match of the first round. Many nobles approach them to congratulate them on Lady Hudson advancing into the finals. Burt preens with pride every time it happens, and Blaine has to admit that he feels some pride too. He only wishes the nobles were telling Lady Hudson herself how incredible she is.

Blaine decides that at least two people should congratulate her, rather than them, and so he suggests that they go find Lady Hudson themselves as soon as they are able. Blaine can barely get a word in as Burt sings her praises for what feels like an eternity. Lady Hudson barely has time to thank him for his words before he remembers some other amazing thing she has done which needs to be recognized.

Blaine isn’t offended, though he feels like he should be. Anybody else would be quite angry to see their fiancé so blatantly in love with another person. Blaine, though, is not anybody else. In fact, should he be offended, he knows it would be quite hypocritical of him. Burt does not hold his heart, and even though he claims that Blaine holds his, Blaine does not feel that he is owed it. Besides, Burt refuses to admit his strong feelings for Lady Hudson. Blaine knows he is not witnessing the beginnings of an affair, or watching his future crown slipping through his fingers.

Although, if he was, he does not know how he would react. Relief? Panic? A paradoxical mixture of both?

Blaine does not want to ponder on these things too long, so he tries to focus his attention on the conversation occurring in front of him. Lady Hudson’s cheeks are bright red as she dismisses Burt’s compliments for what must be the thousandth time in this conversation alone, and Blaine wonders if it is from the exertion of the joust or from the attention of her King.

They finally tear themselves away, going back to their carriage almost two hours after the end of the tournament. Blaine sighs in relief as he sits, his feet tired and not used to standing in one place for so long.

“Our champions have continued on,” Burt says as the carriage begins its journey. “Are you surprised?”

“Not in the slightest,” Blaine says. “In fact, I would not be the least bit surprised if they were the last knights standing.”

Burt shrugs. “That all depends on if they manage to keep them from fighting each other before the final fight. You know that if Sir Smith is pitted against Lady Hudson in the first fight of the second round, he will lose.”

“That will not happen,” Blaine says confidently. “It is quite clear that they are the most competent fighters in this competition. They are going to keep them from fighting one another for as long as possible. It will make for a wonderful finale.”

“Are you willing to bet on that?” Burt asks, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Blaine replies with a smirk. “Are you?”

“Without a doubt,” Burt says. “But I think a bet of this kind deserves more than a mere meal as the wager.”

“I agree,” Blaine leans forward slightly. “What would you like to wager, Your Majesty?”

Burt presses his lips together as he thinks, then says, “If I win, you have to become active in political matters once we marry.”

Blaine’s eyes widen. Oh. Well. This could work in his favour. “Interesting,” he says, tapping at his chin. “And if I win?”

Burt shrugs. “Then you can be as passive in political matters as you wish. If you would like to attend meetings by my side, you can. If you would rather spend your days reading and riding, I will not stop you.”

Blaine thinks about the possibilities this opportunity gives him. He sits up straight and says, “I have a counteroffer.” Burt smiles, intrigued. “If I win, I get to decide on one area on which to focus my political energies, and whatever I choose you will offer your full support.”

“So no matter what, you will become active in political matters?”

Blaine nods.

Burt grins and holds out his hand to shake. Blaine takes it, his insides pooling with warmth.

This could end up being much easier than he hoped.

**

That evening, Burt asks Blaine to eat dinner alone in his chambers. Blaine agrees, always eager to avoid spending any time around Kurt.

The tournament, as always seems to be the case, soon becomes their topic of conversation. There is a few days break coming up, allowing the ten knights entering the second round to rest before the hand-to-hand combats begin, and although it was Blaine’s idea he is now regretting it. He does not know what he will do with his time without the tournament to distract him. Even now, he is finding that he and Burt are merely talking in circles, mentioning the same things they did earlier in the day, sometimes even earlier in this very conversation.

There is a lull in the conversation, and Blaine does not know how to fill it. He sips at his soup and tries to think of something, anything, to say.

Unfortunately, all he has been talking and thinking about for the past two weeks is the tournament. Because of that, he is all talked out. There is nothing new for him to say. There is nothing he hasn’t already said twice. There are few things he has not said three times, to multiple different people.

He can’t even think of anything to say that does not relate to the tournament. Anything he would say about the bet they made earlier today would give away his plans too early. Anything else he would talk about would most likely make him think of Kurt.

Perhaps it was not that smart to put all of his energies into one singular thing.

Thankfully for Blaine, Burt does not seem to have such a one-track mind. He clears his throat after several minutes of silence and says, “I have something I have been meaning to ask you.”

“Yes?” Blaine replies, far too hastily, happy that conversation has been struck up once more. Anything to get him out of his head.

Burt sets his spoon down in his bowl, looking entirely too serious. Maybe Blaine was too hasty in his joy at there being conversation once again.

“Now, I know you have made it clear that, should Carole win the tournament, you will be allowing her to choose her own prize.”

Blaine nods, unsure as to where Burt might go with this.

“What if that wasn’t the case?”

Blaine waits for Burt to continue, but it seems as though he thinks that is enough for Blaine to understand what it is he is asking. “I do not understand,” he says slowly, feeling a little foolish. “What if… What if I were to choose a prize?”

“Yes,” Burt confirms.

“I’m sorry, I don’t understand your question.”

Burt fidgets in his seat. “Perhaps I did not phrase it properly. I am merely wondering what you would ask for, should you have the chance to choose a prize.”

The first thing to enter Blaine’s mind is that he would not choose a thing. He wants for nothing. Every luxury in the kingdom is at his disposal. What more could he wish for?

His traitorous mind whispers: _Kurt_.

Well, that he cannot answer. Not out loud.

Besides, what a selfish request. Here he is, being asked what prize he would desire out of endless possibilities, and he would wish for marriage. How foolish.

“I am sorry for my silence,” he says when he sees Burt raise an eyebrow at him. “I am merely thinking. I would like to give you a genuine answer.”

“I am surprised you do not have an answer ready for me, to be honest,” Burt says. “I believe most people in the kingdom could answer what they would wish should they win at the drop of a hat.”

“It has not been on my mind,” he says.

He thinks. What could he wish for that would benefit others? Perhaps something that could help him in his long term plans, loose as they may currently be?

Oh.

He knows exactly what he would wish for.

He takes a deep breath and he says, “I would wish for you to never call on Emma again.”

Burt’s mouth falls open into a perfect ‘O.’ His eyes widen in surprise, head tilting in confusion.

After a moment, his surprised look becomes a smirk, and he teasingly says, “Why? Are you jealous?”

Blaine can tell that Burt is teasing, attempting to find a reason for such a strange request, but Blaine will not have it. “No. That is not why.”

“Then, please. Tell me.”

Blaine looks him in the eye, considering what to say next. He knows this is not his story to tell, and he does not wish to destroy Emma’s trust.

Still, he has been given an opportunity, and he does not plan on wasting it.

“I cannot say much, as Emma has trusted me with secrets that are not mine to tell. All I can say is that it would be incredibly beneficial to Emma’s health if she knew that she would never again be called upon.”

Burt presses his lips together. He folds his hands on the table in front of him and gives Blaine a considering look.

“Is this in any way related to why Will always comes when I request Emma?”

Blaine simply nods.

Burt leans back in his chair, hands resting on his stomach. He looks up at the ceiling, clearly lost in his thoughts.

After several moments, his eyes fall on Blaine’s. “Is she ill?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said it would be beneficial to her health. Is she ill?”

Blaine swallows thickly. He does not know why he thought he was ready to have this conversation. “Not physically. But her mind…” he trails off, looking away. He presses his eyes shut and forces himself to say, “She lives in fear, Burt.”

He hears the sharp intake of breath from where Burt sits, and he opens a cautious eye. Burt looks completely dumbfounded at this new discovery. It is clear that Emma being afraid to be called upon has never even crossed his mind.

They are both silent for quite some time, and Blaine wishes he knew what thoughts were going through Burt’s head. The man is clearly lost in them, eyes travelling over the table, over Blaine’s face, over the ceiling, over the wall. Blaine cannot tear his eyes away from him, though, heart beating wildly inside his chest.

Finally, Burt lets out a long, exhaling breath. “I did not know,” he says, voice soft and confused.

“I know,” is Blaine’s reply.

Burt gives Blaine a considering look, then says, “You know what? You are my future husband. My love. You do not need to win a tournament for me to give you whatever your heart desires.”

Blaine’s eyes widen, surprise written all over his face. “What?”

“I will not call upon Emma ever again. I cannot have a concubine of mine, one who I love dearly, living in fear of me. It shall be no longer. I promise you, Blaine, from this day forward, Emma will no longer have anything to fear.”

“You mean it?” Blaine asks, barely able to believe his ears.

Burt gives him a sad smile. “Blaine. You have been very kind in your attempts to spare my feelings, but I understand what you mean when you say she fears me. I do not wish to force myself upon her. Not when I know she does not wish it. I do this as much for myself as I do it for you, and for Emma.”

A billion thoughts run through Blaine’s head. Most are of kind words he wishes to dedicate to Burt, others angry and spiteful. He settles for a simple, “Thank you, Burt. Oh my - Thank you.”

Burt smiles again and reaches across the table to squeeze Blaine’s hand. “I told you, I would give you anything. I love you.”

Blaine smiles, a genuine smile as he thinks of the happiness he will see on Emma’s face when he gives her the news. He squeezes Burt’s hand back, a single tear of joy trailing down his cheek.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153757547340/the-life-ahead-612)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so beyond excited to finally share this chapter with everyone. When I first started plotting this fic out there were 4 scenes I saw very, very clearly in my head and that I basically shaped most of the plot around - this is one of those scenes. It ended up a bit different than how I originally pictured it, but honestly I like it better this way. I really, really hope you guys enjoy this chapter because - even though it’s potentially the shortest chapter in the whole series - it was my absolute favourite to write. Please, please, please, though; please read the[ extended warnings for this fic ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost)if you haven’t done so already. This chapter basically includes every single warning listed there.

Blaine wakes up to the sound of blood-curdling, agonizing, screams.

He sits up in bed, eyes instantly wide and alert. He looks around his room wildly, then jumps out of his bed and heads to his door, heart pumping and worry flowing through his veins.

The screams only get louder the closer he gets to the common room. He opens the door to the common room, the final barrier, and is instantly assaulted by the screams at their peak.

“I won’t go!” they say. “You cannot make go! You cannot, you cannot!”

All of the concubines, even Bryan, Blaine notes, have assembled in the common room and are staring at the origin of the screams. Blaine hurries to join the circle, pushing himself between Elliott and Brittany.

His heart drops into the pit of his stomach when he sees Will standing in the center of the circle, holding Emma, who is crying and shrieking unlike anything Blaine has heard before.

“I won’t!” she shouts. “I won’t, I won’t, I won’t!”

“I’m sorry, you must,” Blaine looks over in surprise to find Mason standing only a few feet away from the group of concubines. He is red in the face, and looks entirely uncomfortable with the situation.

“Please, Mason,” Will says over Emma’s continued screams. “Allow me to go in her place. Please.”

Mason shakes his head. His Adam’s apple bobs and he says, “His Majesty was quite clear. He said he wanted Emma, and Emma alone.”

Blaine’s hands curl into fists as anger courses through his body.

That son of a bitch.

He’ll kill him.

He steps out of the circle, placing himself between Will and Emma, and Mason. “I will go instead of Emma.”

Mason swallows thickly again. “Your - Sir -” his eyes close, and he takes a deep breath. “His Majesty was specific about wanting Emma this morning.”

“Yes, so you have said. But Emma is clearly distressed, or do you not see that?”

Mason’s eyes flicker behind him. “I do see that, yes.”

“Then I will go in her place.”

“But, sir-”

“If His Majesty has a problem with it, then I will ensure that he take it up with myself, and myself alone. You will not be punished for this, Mason.”

Mason stares at him for a moment, then nods quickly and scampers out of the room.

Blaine turns as soon as he’s gone to look at Emma, who has finally stopped shouting, but is still sobbing in Will’s arms. “I can’t go,” she whispers, voice hoarse. “I can’t.”

“You won’t go,” Blaine says firmly. He turns to Sue, who looks unsure as to what to do, and says, “Sue, call for a servant. Ask them to draw Emma a bath. Have them give her the finest oils and salts in the castle. If they have any objections, tell them that they can take it up with me.”

She nods and hurries out of the room.

Blaine looks at Will, seeing if they will be okay. Will nods his head, and Blaine nods back.

He turns on his heel and exits the room, absolutely fuming.

This ends today. One way or another, this ends today.

**

He storms through the castle halls, not afraid to let anybody see his anger.

When he reaches Burt’s chambers, he barely pauses to let the guards move out of the way before he is shoving the large doors open with a lot more force than he usually possesses.

“You son of a bitch,” he hisses as soon as he is in the room. Burt, who was turned away from him when he entered, turns quickly, clearly surprised to see him.

“Blaine!” he places something on the table next to him and takes a step toward Blaine. “What are you doing here?”

“You promised me,” Blaine says, pointing an accusing finger and stalking toward Burt. “You gave me your _word_ that you would never call on Emma again.”

“I - Blaine, please let me explain-”

“Explain?! What are you going to explain?! Are you going to explain why you specifically called on Emma not even twelve hours after you swore you never would? Are you going to explain why Emma is in a state far beyond distress in the concubine quarters? Are you going to explain why Mason kept insisting that it _had_ to be Emma, despite the fact that she was screaming and crying loud enough to wake up the entire fucking castle?!”

He can feel sweat pooling on his forehead, and by this time he is directly in Burt’s space, his finger pressed into the King’s chest. He does not think he has ever been more disgusted by a human being.

Burt stares at him long and hard, his own breathing becoming laboured. “I - Blaine. I did not know. I did not think she would react that way.”

“You did not think - I told you _yesterday_ , Burt. Yesterday! Yesterday I told you that Emma _lives in fear_ of being called to your chambers. What reaction did you think she would have to being called upon?!”

“But I wasn’t calling her here to...  look,” Burt steps aside, away from Blaine, and reveals the small table Blaine has eaten at so many times before.

It is full to the brim of the most decadent looking breakfast foods imaginable.

Blaine turns to Burt, anger and confusion creating a powerful emotion within him. “What the hell is all this?”

“I was going to release her, Blaine.”

The words are like an arrow piercing directly through Blaine’s chest. “What?”

Burt sighs and falls into the nearest chair. “I was going to release her as my concubine. I thought… I thought it would make you happy. I didn’t realize…”

Blaine has to take several deep breaths to calm down and allow himself to logically look at this situation. He is still angry, but now it is accompanied by a sense of utter and complete disbelief that one man could be so incredibly stupid.

He kneels down in front of Burt and rests his hands on his knees. “Burt. Look at me.” When he does, Blaine says, “I know you meant well. I can see that. But you need to understand how reckless what you have done was.”

“I didn’t mean to cause her any more harm.” The words come out as a whisper.

Blaine takes another deep breath. “You did,” he says plainly. “You did cause her harm, Burt. She’s in a state beyond anything I have ever seen. She was crying and screaming, like a madwoman. And Mason kept repeating what I can only imagine you ordered him to say - that it had to be Emma, and that you would accept nobody else. Please, tell me that you realize how that sounds.”

“Oh, god,” Burt buries his face in his hands. His shoulders start to shake, but that only makes Blaine angrier.

“Stop that. Stop crying.”

Burt’s hands drop to his lap and wide, wet eyes stare at Blaine in surprise. “What?”

“I’m not going to coddle you, Burt,” Blaine says, his voice cold. “You did not think this through, and because of that you caused another human being terrible heartache and pain. I refuse to console _you_ about that because you had the right intentions.”

Burt doesn’t answer, though his lips part slightly in his shock.

“This is what I _am_ going to do,” Blaine continues, standing up. “I am going to return to the concubine quarters, and I am going to tell Emma that she is being released as a concubine. I will offer her the choice of remaining in the castle with no obligation to yourself, or to leave the castle forever, with the promise of compensation so grand that she will never want for anything in her life.” He takes a deep breath before he says, “And I will then offer Will the same thing.”

“Will?” Burt asks, voice small and confused.

Blaine nods solemnly. “They have a bond deeper than I think either of us can comprehend. I will not allow them to be separated.”

Burt swallows thickly. He stands slowly and nods his head. “Alright,” he says softly. Then, again, with more confidence. “Alright.”

Blaine nods firmly. “Good.”

He turns to leave, but a hand on his wrist stops him. He turns to stare at Burt in shock, ready to yell at him once more, but he finds the man staring at him with a surprising fondness. “You are a King, Blaine.”

Blaine freezes. “What?” he asks, the breath almost entirely knocked out of him.

“You are a King. More of a King than I could have ever expected. You do not yet have a crown but… you are a King.” He smiles, then bows reverently.

Blaine is so shocked he can barely move.

When Burt rights himself, he looks Blaine directly in the eye and says, “Thank you.”

Blaine’s brow furrows slightly. “You’re thanking me for yelling at you?”

Burt nods. He is still smiling. “Nobody has ever spoken to me like that.”

Blaine inhales sharply. He isn’t quite sure what to say. He had every word he needed before, but now he has run dry.

He nods his head gently, holding Burt’s gaze all the while. After some moments of silence, he says, “Your Majesty.”

Burt’s smile grows wider. He bows once more, and replies, “Your Majesty.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/153973886495/the-life-ahead-712)


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Sorry this chapter is coming a day late! I wrote 4 assignments for school over the course of the last 24 hours because obviously I hate myself but I'm officially done with the fall semester and I'm ready to get my holiday cheer on :D
> 
> Anyway, sorry for the wait, don't forget to check out[ the extended warnings for this fic](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost), and I hope you guys enjoy :) See you Friday!

Blaine’s return to the concubine quarters is far more peaceful than his departure. He finds Will and Sue talking in the common room, and Will tells him that Emma is taking her bath, and that Brittany and Elliott are with her, so she’s not alone.

Blaine nods and sits down next to them.

“I’m surprised you’re back so early,” Will says. “You didn’t murder the King, did you?”

Blaine shakes his head. “No. Although I did give him some very choice words.” He smiles at Will. “I do have news, but I want to wait until Emma is here as well, as it concerns both of you.”

Will presses his lips together, worry clouding his features. Blaine is quick to assure him that it is good news; if it weren’t he would tell him right away so he could be prepared to comfort Emma.

He falls silent after that, not wanting to say anything else before Emma arrives. Thankfully, Sue fills the silence, chatting about the tournament as well as the dinner they had the previous night. Blaine listens, but does not say anything.

A door opens loudly, and all three turn around. Sebastian staggers out of his chambers, a bottle clutched tightly in his hand.

He looks entirely unkempt. His hair is so greasy that it clings to his head, his face covered in an uneven beard. The bags under his eyes are larger than any Blaine has ever seen. His shirt is covered in red stains, and there’s a large tear on the knee of his pants.

Sebastian glares at him as he shuffles past, scoffing and shaking his head. He makes his way to the table, where he picks up some of the leftovers from breakfast, piles them onto a plate, and staggers back to his chambers.

Now, Blaine has never liked Sebastian. Not even since their… bonding experience. And he knows that, while Sebastian felt a sense of camaraderie with him, that died the minute Blaine accepted Burt’s proposal. Still, regardless of his personal feelings, Blaine worries about Sebastian. He’s barely seen him since he became engaged, and every time he does it’s like this - drunk and disgusting, only surfacing for food.

He watches him disappear back into his chambers and heaves a heavy sigh. He hates that he cannot help Sebastian, at least not right now. He isn’t sure that he will ever be able to help Sebastian. Even if he is able to convince Burt to release Sue and Sebastian as well, he has no idea if Sebastian will actually go on to do something with his life, or if he will follow in Bryan’s footsteps and haunt the concubine quarters, drinking his life away.

He may not particularly like Sebastian, but he would not wish that fate upon anybody.

**

It’s another half hour before Emma, Brittany, and Elliott return to the common room. Emma does not look as relaxed as Blaine hoped the bath would make her, but he supposes it was too much wishful thinking on his part to assume a bath could override Emma’s traumatic morning.

She gives him a tight smile, and Blaine stands from the couch. “Emma,” he says. “I hope that you are feeling better.”

She glances away from him. “A little,” she says, voice meek.

Blaine bites his lip. He does not want Emma to fear him the way she does Burt. He does not want her to be nervous around him.

He glances at the others in the room, and softly asks, “Could I please speak with Will and Emma alone?”

Sue and Elliott exchange a worried glance, but Brittany instantly nods and ushers the other two out into the gardens with her. Blaine smiles at her in thanks, and she gives him a small, encouraging thumbs up.

Blaine leads Emma to the couch where Will is sitting. She sits next to him, his arm instantly coming up around her shoulder to pull her close. Blaine sees the way she sags with relief in his arms, and knows that he has made the right decision today.

He glances between the two, unsure as to how to begin. It feels strange, being in this position. These are his friends, his fellow concubines, his equals. Except, they are not anymore. He is above them now. He holds the power.

The strangest part about it is that he is the one who gave himself the power in this situation.

He clears his throat, and decides to just say it. “You are both being released from your duties as concubines.”

Emma’s eyes instantly fill with tears, and Will holds her closer to himself. “What?” Emma asks, voice shaky and weak.

“You are being released from your duties,” Blaine repeats.

“As in…” Will does not seem able to finish the sentence, as though he cannot quite believe it himself.

“As in you no longer owe anything to the King. He has no control over your bodies, or your lives. He is simply your King now, and nothing more.” Blaine smiles at both of them. “It is why he was calling Emma down this morning. He meant to inform her over breakfast,” he shakes his head, still feeling anger at how Burt dealt with the situation. “He has been informed of the damage he caused in doing so.”

“I don’t understand,” Will says, holding Emma closer. “What… what do we do now?”

Blaine shrugs. “Well, that is up to you. You can stay here, if you wish. Live your life in luxury. You can be trained in a profession, and we can place you at work somewhere in the castle, with a generous wage. Or, you can leave. Return to your homes, or anywhere you wish. You will be given enough compensation that you will never want for anything.”

“We’re… we’re free?” Emma asks. “The King, he can’t…?”

“He will never call on you again, Emma,” Blaine says, heart tightening at the tears that begin to fall from her eyes. “On either of you.”

Emma bursts into tears, and leaps from the couch and into Blaine’s arms. Blaine is surprised by the sudden physical contact, but soon wraps his arms tightly around her shaking body.

“Thank you,” she sobs into his shoulder. “Thank you, Blaine. Thank you.”

“Do we have to decide right now?” Will asks, standing and placing a hand on Emma’s back.

“No,” Blaine says, smiling at him over Emma’s shoulder. “Take as much time as you would like.”

He smiles and a tear falls down his cheek as well. He lowers his hand down Emma’s back to where Blaine’s hands are clasped together and gives them a tight squeeze.

“Thank you,” he says, and Emma repeats the sentiment yet again.

Blaine just hugs Emma tighter.

**

Emma and Will eventually go off to celebrate their newfound freedom together, and Blaine takes the opportunity to return to his chamber and take a nice, long, nap.

When he wakes, it is past the time for lunch, but he is not hungry. His mind is full of the day’s events, and he still has some lingering anger and resentment aimed at Burt coursing through his veins.

He dresses in some of his loser clothing and heads out to the gardens. He thinks some time alone in his favourite place in the castle will help to clear his mind.

Unfortunately, his mind becomes almost too clear, and soon he is walking down a familiar path, instinct taking him to the stables, mind focused only on the lovely gardens around him. He does not run into anybody on the path, something he is thankful for, as he is able to simply enjoy the beauty surrounding him without worrying about schmoozing nobles, or worse.

He is slightly surprised at the sight of the stables, but when he does not see Kurt anywhere in the vicinity he decides that he might as well go inside while he is here. He is not wearing his riding gear, but he has not seen Daisy in some time, and he would like to say hello.

Inside, he finds that Daisy already has a visitor, and thankfully it is not the one he fears.

Lady Hudson stands by the horse, a carrot in one hand and a brush in the other. Blaine approaches quietly, not wanting to startle the horse.

“Lady Hudson,” he greets once he is close enough. She jumps slightly in surprise, and Blaine smiles. Perhaps he should have been more worried about startling the knight than the horse.

“Blaine, hello,” Lady Hudson says, happily. “Oh, I know I only saw you yesterday, but it feels as though far more time has passed since then.”

Blaine chuckles. “Yes, today has been…. eventful, to say the least.”

“For you as well?” Lady Hudson laughs. “I’ve only just managed to sneak away from all the nobles a short while ago. They all seem particularly interested in speaking to me, for some reason.”

Blaine laughs along with her. The sparkle in her eyes tells him that she knows exactly what reason that is.

“I feel as though I did not get to congratulate you properly yesterday,” Blaine says. “You have been doing exceedingly well in the tournament.”

“Oh, hush you,” Lady Hudson smirks at him. “You do not need to pretend with me. I’ve heard rumours that you are hoping that mysterious Sir Smith will be the winner.”

“I am cheering for him, yes, but there is no doubt in my mind who the winner of the tournament will be.”

She shakes her head, smiling fondly. “Stop, you’ll make me blush.”

Blaine smiles as well. He then bites his lip, before saying quietly, “I have a confession to make.”

“Oh?”

He nods, blushing a little as he says, “I was recently informed that you used to be the Queen’s concubine. I did not know, and now I worry that I may have said something careless in the past without realizing it. I want to apologize, if that is the case.”

Lady Hudson’s eyebrows raise, and her eyes widen. “Oh,” she repeats. Her surprise only seems to last a moment, before she says, “You have nothing to apologize for, Blaine. You have never said anything that has offended my sensibilities in the slightest.” She gives him a considering look, then says, “Although I have to admit that I am surprised that you didn’t know about this. It’s not exactly a secret.”

Blaine winces. “That is why I am so embarrassed at not having realized. I feel incredibly foolish for not seeing something that was so obvious.”

“You’re not foolish, Blaine. I’m sure there are things that are obvious to you, but other people cannot see.”

Blaine presses his lips together, thinking of herself and Burt. He wonders if she, like Burt, denies her feelings to herself, assuring herself that she cannot love him due to her history with his deceased wife.

He glances around the stables and then leans in closer to her. “Can I tell you something? Something private?”

Lady Hudson nods eagerly.

Blaine glances around one last time, then quietly says, “I want to give every concubine the opportunity you’ve been given.”

Lady Hudson’s eyes widen. “What do you mean?”

He takes a deep breath, then, for the first time since he conceived the plan, says out loud, “When I’m King, I want to make a law that prohibits having concubines. I want to release them all.”

She looks shocked for a moment, but then her face softens and she smiles gently. “You have such a kind heart, Blaine,” she says. Then, more seriously, “That’s a very ambitious goal.”

“I know,” Blaine says. “But I’ve seen what this system has done to Bryan, and I’ve seen what it’s done to Emma. They cannot be the only ones whose lives have been ruined because of this, and if nobody puts an end to this tradition, then even more people will suffer. I know that I can make a difference, and I plan to do so, even if it takes the rest of my life.”

Lady Hudson considers him, her lips pursed and her arms crossed. She then lets out a soft chuckle and, making sure to hold his eye, “I guess this explains why you’re marrying Burt when you’re clearly in love with his son.”

Blaine freezes, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping. His heart drops down to his feet, and he stares at her, shocked.

How the hell did she know?

He thought they had been so careful.

Who else knows?

Oh, god, never mind Blaine’s desire to make a difference. He’s going to be exiled, or worse, if this secret gets out.

“Don’t worry,” Lady Hudson says. “I don’t plan on telling anybody.”

“But - How did you know?” he manages to ask, though the words come out breathless. He feels as though there is no air left in his lungs.

“I’m more perceptive than you’d think,” she says. Then, her face falls, and she softly says, “And I know what it’s like. To love someone you know you shouldn’t.”

The horror drains from Blaine’s system at the confirmation that it is only her that knows. He takes a step closer to her and quietly asks, “Burt?”

She doesn’t meet his eye. Instead she looks up at the ceiling of the stable and says, “I suppose you are more perceptive than one would think, too.”

Blaine closes the distance between them and takes both her hands in his. “Lady Hud -” he stops himself, instead saying, “Carole.” She looks up at him, clearly surprised at the use of her first name. “I wish there were a way that I could make these changes without marrying the man you love. I wish there were a way for us all to be happy.”

“I wish for that, too,” she smiles at him. “But I know you’re going to do great things as his husband, Blaine. Besides,” her smile lessens and she looks away, “he loves you. All I want is to see him happy.”

Blaine swallows thickly. He opens his mouth, wanting to tell her that he believes that Burt loves her as she loves him, but he decides to say nothing instead. What is the point of telling her that her love is returned when nothing can come of it? He does not want her to feel the pain that he feels every time he thinks of Kurt.

She squeezes his hands tightly, then drops them. “I should probably head back to the castle. Get some rest in my actual bed. I tell you, it’s wonderful being so close to the arena, and I’ve had some very interesting conversations with the other knights, but those beds are terrible for my back.”

“Of course,” Blaine takes a step back. “I am happy that I got to speak with you, Carole.”

“Me too, Blaine.” She gives him a tight smile, then walks out of the stables without looking back.

Blaine takes a deep breath, the interaction far more emotional and tiring than he expected it to be. He remains in the stables for a few minutes more, petting Daisy casually.

When he finally feels like he’s caught his breath, he heads back to the castle. He barely thinks of anything as he walks, and by the time he is in the concubine quarters he is ready to collapse in his bed despite not even having eaten dinner.

He decides to do so. Burt can make excuses for him to the other nobles. He has had a very taxing day, and he thinks that he deserves this.

In his chambers, he changes quickly, then falls into his bed, letting out a content sigh as his body hits the mattress.

Yes, he definitely deserves this.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/154135683090/the-life-ahead-812)


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Friday everybody! I hope you guys enjoy this chapter <3 as always, please make sure you check out the [extended warnings for this fic](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost) (although this chapter is pretty mild). See you guys on Monday!!

By the time the second round of the tournament begins, Blaine is about ready to lose his damn mind.

Everything seems to go back to normal. It’s as though nothing has happened. Burt treats him the way he always does. He sees Carole at the stables once more, and all they speak of is riding. Sebastian keeps stumbling around the concubine quarters. Will and Emma sit in the common room and read, or play games with Brittany, Elliott, and Sue. Even Kurt has begun to attend meals almost frequently, which, although difficult for Blaine, only adds to the normality of everything.

The problem is that nothing feels normal anymore. Not for Blaine. He doesn’t know when he even began to settle into a normal routine anyway.

He told somebody about his plans, why he wants to be King. He actually managed to release two of Burt’s concubines. Things are moving forward.

Nobody seems to care.

Nobody knows that Will and Emma have been released. Nobody overheard his conversation with Carole. Burt has been treating him exactly the same as he has for the past several months. 

Everything has changed, and yet nothing has changed. 

It is infuriating.

He hopes the second round of the tournament will provide as much of a distraction as the first round did. Dear god, does he need the distraction.

**

The set up for the second round of the tournament is simple. It will span over the course of ten days. During the first seven, there will be three fights every day. Two sets of knights will duel, after which the losers will duel one another. There will be one knight eliminated each day. On the eighth day, there will only be one fight, after which the final two will be announced. Then, a day of rest for the knights. The tenth day will mark the end of the tournament, and a victor will be crowned.

The herald reads out the rules, and then announces the first duelers. Sir Smith is to be in the very first duel; his competitor, another knight from the North, Lady Jackson.

Blaine’s only experience with anything similar to a duel is with watching Kurt train. This, he knows, will be completely different, but until the fight begins he does not realize just how different it will be.

Sir Smith is as brutal with a sword as he’d been with a lance. His footwork is precise, his moves smooth, and he has Lady Jackson disarmed, his sword at her neck, in less than three minutes.

The crowd cheers, Blaine the loudest of them all. What an incredible start to what promises to be an amazing round.

The second fight is much longer than the first, neither knight nearly as aggressive as Sir Smith had been. Finally, it is Lady Adams of Fort Wayne who emerges victorious, and her opponent, Lady Motta, must enter the final battle with Lady Jackson.

There is a brief respite at Lady Motta’s request, but it does not do much to help her. Lady Jackson only fought for three minutes, while Lady Motta just finished fighting a half hour duel. It is clear from the start that they are unequally matched, and, although the fight lasts longer than the first did, it isn’t long before Lady Jackson is declared victorious and Lady Motta is eliminated.

It has been an exciting start to an exciting round, and Blaine speaks of the incredible duels during the entire duration of the return to the castle. Burt chimes in occasionally, but mostly seems content to allow Blaine to talk. Blaine is happy for it. The more he speaks, the less he speaks, and quite frankly he thinks he has had enough thinking in the past few days to last him a lifetime.

**

The second and third day of the tournament bring equally exciting fights. Lady Hudson practically destroys her competitor in her fight, as does Sir Smith in his second fight, which if anything feels shorter than the first. 

Still, despite the excitement, Blaine knows he is not nearly as distracted as he was during the first round. While the fights provide enough conversation fodder during the carriage rides and meals, when he is alone Blaine finds his thoughts wandering. 

He has managed to release Emma and Will, and far earlier than he could have ever anticipated. It’s incredible, but he now feels pressured to find a way to release the remaining concubines as well. While he was being honest with Carole when he said he was willing to spend his whole life working toward this, he cannot help but feel as though he is failing by not doing anything  _ now _ . Almost every noble in the kingdom is currently residing in the palace, and right now he has the chance to show them firsthand the change he wishes to establish. He knows it will be an uphill battle, and he knows that he cannot do it alone. Exposing the other nobles to the idea of releasing their concubines before he even attempts to change the laws will make it far easier for them to accept it, and maybe even help them to agree with him.

As well, every meal is left with nothing but Kurt on his mind. Kurt, who sits across from him, and speaks and laughs and jokes as though nothing had ever occurred between them. Kurt, who converses with Blaine as easily as he does with all the other nobles, despite the fact that Blaine struggles with every word spoken to the man. Kurt, whose eyes linger when he knows they shouldn’t. Kurt, who reminds Blaine every single day of what he has lost.

He finds even the mystery of Sir Smith does not bring the same level of distraction as he did before. Although he is still excited every time the knight looks up toward where Blaine and Burt sit and bows to Blaine, it is not the same. He is never fully engaged in the duels, not as he was. 

He wishes he could lose himself in the tournament as he did before. He is tired of his own mind; of the knots it twists itself into. 

The worst part is that he knows it will not end. These thoughts will continue to plague him, most likely for the rest of his life. Even if he manages to release all the concubines in the castle, and to pass a law outlawing having concubines, who is to say something else will not occur? Some new political issue for Blaine to completely immerse himself in - to feel entirely inadequate to deal with?

All he wants is a few more days of freedom. He just wants to forget everything, just for a few more days.

His brain does not care what he wants.

**

It is on the sixth day of the tournament that something truly surprising and extraordinary occurs. Something that finally manages to really distract Blaine, even when he is alone in his chambers, searching for sleep.

Only five knights remain, and things have become more aggressive as the tournament continues. While the knights are undoubtedly exhausted, they do not let it show. They fight like their lives depend upon it, and it has made for wonderful entertainment, as well as some very close duels.

Blaine is surprised when the herald announces that the second fight of the day will be between Sir Smith and Lady Jackson. No two knights have dueled twice, and the excited murmur that ripples through the crowd shows that he is not the only one caught off guard by the announcement.

The knights enter the arena, and Blaine prepares for a similar result to their previous fight. 

The fight is similar to the first, but only in its length. Sir Smith is as aggressive as ever, but Lady Jackson returns his aggression, with a little extra added of her own. She pushes Sir Smith to the edge of the arena. Blaine sees the moment that the knight realises he is cornered. He looks around himself in shock, and Lady Jackson uses the opportunity to disarm him. 

The arena falls into silence as the two knights remain where they stand, Lady Jackson’s sword held up to Sir Smith’s neck.

Then, the cheers begin.

Blaine does not know whether he should cheer or not. He is in a state of utter shock. 

Sir Smith lost. 

He will have a chance to redeem himself, after the second fight, but the fact remains. 

He manages to clap politely for Lady Jackson as she exits the arena, but his eyes remain on Sir Smith, who is still standing up against the wall. His helmet tilts upwards and Blaine knows that the knight is looking at him. He smiles, but it feels forced. 

Finally, Sir Smith leaves the arena to allow for the next duel to begin. Blaine cannot help but feel bad for Lady Hudson and Sir Chang, however, as everybody knows who the victor will be. All he cares about is seeing Sir Smith duel Sir Chang, and he has no doubt that the rest of the crowd feels the same.

Thankfully it is a short fight, and soon Lady Hudson is leaving the arena and Sir Smith is returning. There is a short respite to allow Sir Chang to catch his breath, and then the fight begins.

It is the longest fight that Sir Smith has been involved in thus far. It is clear to Blaine that he has the upper hand on Sir Chang, but Sir Chang manages to hold his own until finally, after a good ten minutes of sparring, Sir Chang missteps, allowing Sir Smith to quickly disarm him. 

Blaine cannot help but heave a sigh of relief at the sight of Sir Smith’s victory. He stands and cheers, and Sir Smith bows to him, longer than he has since that first day. 

Blaine cheers louder.

**

Sir Smith’s loss to Lady Jackson is all that is spoken of during dinner that evening.

Every noble seems to have an opinion on the matter. Duke St. James is entirely shocked that there could be such different outcomes to two knights fighting one another twice. Lady July was entirely astounded to see Sir Smith defeated, and claims she will be removing all bets she has placed on the knight, as she now is no longer sure if he will even make it to the final two. Lady Lopez and Kurt both agree that they are happy to see the man finally defeated, feeling his aggressive style to be too much for a friendly tournament of this kind. Even Burt weighs in, stating that he is happy to see the man defeated, though he is shocked that it happened. 

Blaine only listens. He has verbalized his feelings of surprise to Burt on the ride back to the castle, and feels no need to alert the entire nobility of them. Besides, it is just as interesting to hear everybody’s opinions, even though Lady Lopez and Kurt’s frustrate him. 

The subject dominates the conversation even on the way to the semi-final duel two days later. Because Carole has not lost a single duel, she has been automatically placed amongst the final two, allowing her an extra day of rest before the final battle. Blaine states that he thought it would be far more complicated than it has been, as he did not believe Sir Smith would lose a single fight either. 

“Do you still believe it will be Sir Smith that will fight Carole in the final battle?” Burt asks as they sit, before the herald can sound his trumpet and beginning to announce the duel. 

“Sir Smith has already defeated Sir Meeks before,” Blaine says.

“He defeated Lady Jackson before as well.”

“And then defeated her once again yesterday,” Blaine defends. 

It had been quite the spectacle. When it was announced that Sir Smith would yet again be dueling Lady Jackson, the crowd went absolutely wild. The fight itself was brutal to watch, each knight eager to prove their worth against the other. It was the longest of Sir Smith’s battles, but ended with him victorious for the second time. 

Overall, it had been quite distracting. Blaine could not have been happier.

Burt does not have time to respond before the trumpet sounds and the tournament begins. 

Sir Smith and Sir Meeks enter the arena. The sun glints off the silver metal of Sir Smith’s armour, and Blaine bites his lip, nerves coursing through his body. 

The fight begins. 

Blaine leans forward in his seat. Swords clash in the arena, both knights giving it their all from the very first moment. 

He wants Sir Smith to win. He is self-aware enough to know that. His curiosity and his pride have grown over the course of the tournament, and dammit, he wants Sir Smith to win.

He won’t win. This fight, perhaps, but not the tournament. He is an excellent fighter, of that there is no doubt, but he won’t beat Carole. There is no chance of it. 

Blaine still wants him to win.

This fight lasts longer than the first between these two knights. Sir Meeks has clearly gained confidence in his victories since previously dueling Sir Smith. He wants to win just as badly, and it shows.

It’s close. Blaine can feel it. The crowd can feel it. During most fights the sound of the crowd drowns out the sound of the fight, but not this time. Every clash of swords echoes through the arena. Blaine can hear it when their feet shift the sand. He feels as though he’s been holding his breath since the fight began.

Finally, Sir Smith gains the upper hand. Sir Meeks steps backward, but missteps and glances back before he loses his balance. Sir Smith knocks his sword harshly, causing Sir Meeks to stumble further, before finally falling to the ground.

It’s over. The crowd cheers before the sword is even knocked from Sir Meeks’s hand. 

It hits the sand, and Blaine stands, clapping wildly, shouting his excitement and congratulations. Sir Smith offers Sir Meeks his hand, helping him to rise. He bows to Sir Meeks, then turns to where Blaine and Burt are sitting and bow to them as well.

Blaine whistles, and even Burt lets out a shout of congratulations. 

The herald sounds his trumpet and makes it official. Sir Smith won. In two days time, he will face off against Lady Hudson for the prize. 

Blaine knows he will speak of nothing else for the rest of the evening. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/154271524980/the-life-ahead-912)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m sorry I keep posting late you guys :( My life is pretty crazy right now, unfortunately. As always, please make sure you check out the [extended warnings for this fic ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost). I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, and I will see you on Friday :)

Breakfast is filled with excited gossip about who will win the final round of the tournament. Blaine partakes when he feels it appropriate, but for the most part is content to listen.

He does, at one point, send a pointed glare in Kurt’s direction when the man openly states that it would be a damn shame should Sir Smith win, as he has entered independently and Lady Hudson is the knight of the King. Blaine says nothing, though, instead letting the other Sir Smith fans at the table react for him. Although it is no secret that he has been cheering Sir Smith along, he does not feel it is right to openly speak against the knight entered by his fiance in his honour, especially considering Lady Hudson is his friend. Not that he would speak against her, of course. He is more sure than ever that she will be the winner of the tournament.

Still, he cannot help but wonder: what _if_ Sir Smith were to win?

He returns to the concubine chambers from breakfast, trying to think of something to do for the day. He considers staying in the common room, where Emma and Will will undoubtedly be, and engaging them in conversation for most of the day. But, no, that will only bring up complicated feelings and thoughts. He has been thoroughly distracted for the past several days, and he wants to keep that going for as long as he can.

Perhaps he will go for a ride. It may lead to his seeing Kurt, but he has managed to sit across from him for close to two weeks now, three meals a day. He is sure he can manage a brief conversation, should he see him.

Perhaps he will read, instead. Hide himself away in the library. Lose himself in a fictional world.

Perhaps he will take a nap.

Oh, yes. A nap does sound lovely. He is not even tired, but he is feeling self-indulgent. It will possibly be the first time since his arrival at the castle in which he naps for no reason other than he fancies a nap.

He heads into his chambers and changes back into his sleeping clothes. He crawls back into bed and snuggles under the blankets.

Yes, this is what he shall do. Not for the whole day, of course, but for now. He closes his eyes and drifts off with a smile on his face.

**

He spends the day sleeping off and on, enjoying the luxury of it rather than the necessity. He goes out to get a small snack at one point, but soon finds himself back in his bed, relaxing into his mattress and simply allowing the day to go by.

It is only after the sun has set that Blaine realizes that perhaps this was not the smartest idea. After spending the whole day in bed, he now finds himself restless, antsy. He cannot stay in bed a moment longer.

He hops out of bed and gets dressed, unsure of what he will do until he feels tired once more. All he knows at this moment is that his stomach is rumbling, as he has barely eaten today.

He heads into the common room, looking for a snack before he decides what he will do next. He has barely made it out of the hallway door before he is tackled by Brittany, long arms wrapping around him in a tight, warm hug.

“Brittany!” he hugs her back on instinct, attempting to ascertain if this is a happy hug or one of sadness.

“Blaine, you will not believe what has happened!” she pulls back, a smile spread wide across her face. Happy, then.

“Please, tell me.”

“I have been released as a concubine!”

Blaine forces his eyes to widen with surprise, wanting to convey that this is the first he has heard of this even being a possibility. “What?!”

Brittany nods quickly. “Kurt said that he’s tired of holding me and Santana back! He released me, and told me to follow my heart, wherever it may lead me.” Her smile only becomes wider as she continues, “I left his chambers only to find Santana already waiting for me. She has asked me to return to her estate with her once the tournament ends. We are to be married, Blaine! Isn’t it wonderful?”

“It is more than wonderful, Brittany,” Blaine says, pulling her in for a tight hug. “I hope that you and Santana will have the most wonderful of lives together.”

“You sound as if I will never see you again,” she says, chuckling. “I will visit often, of course. I have too many friends in this castle not to do so.”

Speaking of which, Blaine glances over her shoulder. Just as he expected, Will and Emma are sitting together on a couch near the middle of the room. Emma’s head is lowered, her eyes on her lap, and Will is speaking to her in a soft, soothing voice.

Blaine pulls away from Brittany, giving her shoulders on final, tight, squeeze. “Give me a moment, Brittany,” he says, keeping a smile on his face. She nods happily, then bounds over to the other side of the room, where Elliott is standing alone, silently watching. Blaine considers him for a moment, but decides to continue with his original plan.

He goes to Emma and Will, sitting on the coffee table in front of the couch they are on. “Hey,” he says, speaking to Emma. “Are you alright?”

She nods once, but her hands are trembling where they sit in her lap. Will reaches out and steadies them with his own.

Blaine smiles softly, and says, “You care for her deeply, don’t you?”

Emma nods. “She is my closest friend,” she whispers.

Blaine takes a deep breath, then says, “Why don’t I speak to Lady Lopez. I am sure she has room in her household for two more.”

Emma’s head whips up. She stares at Blaine with wide, excited eyes. “You mean-”

“Emma, you are free,” he says. “There is no reason for you and Brittany to be separated. None at all.”

Her eyes fill with tears, but she smiles as she says, “I don’t know how I will ever repay you for all that you’ve done for me. For us.” She sniffles, then gently places a hand over Blaine’s and says, “Thank you. I know it is not nearly enough, but… thank you.”

“I only want your happiness, Emma,” Blaine says, squeezing her hand. “I am merely thankful that I have been helpful in you achieving it.”

She nods, then lets go of his hand and curls into Will. The man mouths his own, “Thank you,” to Blaine, who smiles and winks.

He then stands, not wanting to forget the other man in the room.

Brittany is speaking to Elliott rapidly, words barely making sense. When Blaine approaches, he taps her on the shoulder, and then nods toward Will and Emma, telling her of his plan to allow them to remain together. Brittany squeals with joy, bids her goodbyes to Elliott, and rushes to her other friends, instantly engaging them in conversation instead.

Elliott watches her go, a wistfulness in his eye that Blaine is not quite sure he understands.

“Do you want that, too?” He asks bluntly. He nods toward Brittany when Elliott turns to him with confusion written on his face. “To be released. To move away from the castle. To be free.”

Elliott stares at Brittany for several moments. He shakes his head minutely, but then shrugs. “Somedays I think I do,” he says simply.

Blaine watches him carefully. Elliott has never been a hard man to read, but Blaine has not been as close to him over the past few months as he has been in the past. He hates himself a little for that.

“Do you like being a concubine?” Blaine asks. _Do you like being Kurt’s concubine?_

Elliott licks his lips, his eyes still on Brittany. “I do,” he says. “Kurt has been… well, my entire life, for the past three years. Almost four. I can barely remember what my life was like before him.”

“Would you leave, if you could?” He knows he is prying, knows he is asking for more than Elliott owes him, but he wants to know. Needs to know. Needs to decipher the emotions in Elliott’s eyes.

“I don’t know,” is the reply. “Kurt hasn’t… I’ve thought about it, lately. He hasn’t called on me in months. Brittany either. I see him, occasionally, but he never wants more than friendly conversation.” He licks his lips, and finally looks away from Brittany, eyes falling on Blaine instead. “I know what you’re doing.”

Blaine tries to hide his surprise with a frown. “What do you mean?”

“You’re trying to do for the rest of us what you did for Will and Emma. You want to release us.”

Blaine presses his lips together tightly for several moments. “Would it be a problem if I did?”

Elliott shrugs once more. “No. It’s a nice thought.”

Blaine swallows thickly. How is it that he was able to stand up to Burt, but with Elliott he feels the need to build up his courage before speaking?

“It won’t just be a thought for long. I am going to achieve it. You will be free. You will be able to do what you please.”

“I am already doing what I please,” Elliott says. “Or, I was.” He gives Blaine a hard look. “You may not understand this, Blaine, but I love Kurt. Even if I am not his concubine, I will always love him. I don’t know if I’d even be able to stand being apart from him.”

Blaine wants to tell Elliott that he does understand. He understands more than Elliott can even imagine.

He doesn’t of course, and Elliott continues.

“He does not love me back, though,” he says, looking away from Blaine. “I’ve always known he loved Brittany more than I. I guessed once the Prince of Essex came to Lima that I would move further down the pole of his affections. I’ve felt a distance between us since the Prince of Essex came to stay.” He sighs, the sound so heartbroken and forlorn that it it nearly cracks Blaine’s heart in two. “I thought it might disappear now that the Prince is married to another, but it still remains. It is very clear that his heart belongs to somebody.” Blaine’s heart jumps in his chest, and he hates himself for being so happy when the price is Elliott’s utter distress. “Yet still, I do not know if I could bear to be separated from him. I… I don’t expect you to understand.”

Blaine nods quickly. “I do. I do understand. You don’t…” he places a hand on Elliott’s forearm, causing the man to look him in the eye. “Should I succeed, you don’t have to leave. You will be free to remain here, if you please. I am sure Sebastian will choose to do so.”

Elliott snorts at the mention of Sebastian, and shakes his head. “Dear lord, please do not place me in the same category as him.”

Blaine turns to the door leading to Sebastian’s bedchambers. He sighs, as though merely watching them will cause the man to appear.

“I’m not quite sure freedom will fix what has broken within Sebastian,” he admits. “But I do not know what will.”

Elliott shakes his head. “You shouldn’t worry yourself with that. Only Sebastian can fix Sebastian, and he has to make the choice to do so. What happened to him… it’s not your fault.”

He feels it is, but that is not what is important. He lets out a sharp exhale, then says, “Elliott, you have always been there for me when I needed someone most, so I want you to know that I am here for you as well. Whatever you need.”

Elliott smiles. Blaine feels as though he has not seen the man smile in years. “Thank you, Blaine. Truly.”

Although Blaine wishes to continue talking, he feels as though the conversation has ended. He gives Elliott’s forearm a tight squeeze, then glances back at Emma, Will, and Brittany. They are in deep conversation, and he does not wish to interrupt them.

Instead, he decides to head to the gardens. His talk with Elliott was heavy in ways he cannot begin to describe; ways he knows only the garden’s natural beauty can help alleviate.

Once outside, he knows he has made the right choice. The night air is cool, refreshing, and calming. He takes in a deep breath and begins walking, already feeling lighter than he did mere moments ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/154412100715/the-life-ahead-1012)


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUESS WHO IS POSTING LATE AGAIN (me it’s me). I’m really sorry guys!! If it makes you feel better, there’s only two more sections left for me to post late (chapter 12, and then part 8). We’re so close to the end guys! As always, please make sure you check out the < a href="http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost">extended warnings for this fic. See you all Monday!! (or, knowing me, Tuesday)

It isn’t long before Blaine finds himself en route to the stables. It often feels as though his feet have a mind of their own, and unless he is forcefully keeping himself from the stables, that is where they always wish to go.

It’s too late to go riding, or even to take Daisy out for a short walk, but he will still pop in to say hello. No use walking all this way just to turn around once he arrives. 

He heads into the building, unsurprised to find it largely empty. There is a servant feeding a horse at the far end of the stable, but he seems to be the only one around at this time. 

It must be dinner time. Blaine did not even stop and check before he left the castle.

His stomach rumbles, and he decides that, after spending a short time with Daisy, he will return to eat with the rest of the concubines. 

It is only when he reaches Daisy that he realizes that he is not as alone as he thought he was. 

Really, he should have known.

He wonders if he should turn around and leave. Kurt is facing Daisy, feeding her a large, red apple, and has not noticed him yet. If Blaine turns around now, he can sneak out before Kurt even realizes that he is there. There’s no need for an awkward encounter, leaving them both feeling upset and disappointed. 

The sound of a door closing fills the stables, and Blaine looks over to where the servant had been previously. He is no longer there. He and Kurt are alone.

“Blaine.”

He jumps a little, turning his head back toward Kurt. The man is smiling at him, those soft, pink lips so beautiful and inviting. Blaine remembers kissing them just over a week ago, and his heart flutters in his chest. 

He shouldn’t be here. He cannot be here.

“Don’t leave,” Kurt says. “Please, don’t leave. I feel as though I have not seen you in months.”

Blaine bites his lip, but does not move. “You saw me at breakfast,” he says, thankful that his voice does not shake.

“You know what I mean,” Kurt whispers.

Blaine swallows thickly. “I shouldn’t be here,” he says. “We should not be alone. It is not proper.”

“Please,” Kurt repeats. “It has been a long day for me. I would really appreciate your company.”

Blaine wants to say no. He should say no. He told Kurt very clearly that they could not be together whilst Blaine was engaged to Burt. 

But Kurt has a look on his face; a melancholy look that makes Blaine’s heart ache. He hates seeing Kurt like that. Especially knowing that he can make Kurt feel better. He wants to see Kurt smile at him again, as he did only moments ago.

He cannot help it. He is selfish.

He steps toward Kurt and asks, “Is it because of Brittany?”

Kurt sighs, and moves slightly away from Daisy, dropping what is left of the apple on the floor. The horse leans down to finish it off. 

“I did not think it would be this hard,” he says. “I’ve been wanting to release her for some time, but something was always holding me back. I guess it was this.” He looks up at Blaine, and Blaine sees that there’s tears pooling in his eyes. 

“She is very happy, Kurt,” Blaine says. “You did what was right.”

“I know,” Kurt replies. His eyes shimmer, the blue only accentuated by his tears. “But she is my oldest friend. I love her deeply. I…” he looks down at the ground. “I will miss her.”

“You know that’s okay, right?” Blaine says, taking another step forward. He is close enough to place a hand on Kurt’s shoulder, and gently does so. 

Touching Kurt again, even through several layers of clothing, is just as magic as it always was. 

Kurt presses his lips together, a tear falling down his cheek. He smiles, that gorgeous smile Blaine has been looking for, and whispers, “I miss you, too.”

“Don’t,” Blaine says, taking a step back. “Don’t say that. I can’t…” he shakes his head, feeling tears gathering in his own eyes. “My heart already breaks every time I look at you.”

“Just tell me one thing,” Kurt says, his voice soft. “Are you happy?”

Blaine’s mouth falls open slightly in surprise. 

_ Is _ he happy? 

He hasn’t even thought about that.

“My friends are happy,” he says, the only thing he can think to say.

“Yes, of course,” Kurt says. He steps closer to Blaine, so that there is barely any space between them. “But are  _ you _ happy?”

Blaine’s throat feels dry. He can barely think with Kurt so close to him. 

This is not good. He should have left. He should not be here. 

“Them being happy makes me happy.”

Kurt shakes his head, but he’s smiling and it makes his entire face soften. “You are too selfless, Blaine.”

He wants to shout that he isn’t. If he were selfless he wouldn’t be here. If he were selfless he would turn around and walk out of the stable. If he were selfless he would tell Kurt that they can never be alone again; that he won’t  _ allow _ them to be alone again. 

If he were selfless he wouldn’t feel his stomach coiling with delight at having Kurt so near once more. 

He can’t say anything, though. He can barely breathe. 

He should not be here. 

He is so, so glad that he is here.

“I wish you were truly happy, Blaine,” Kurt says, voice barely above a whisper in the silence of the stables. “It would make being apart from you so much easier.”

Blaine swallows thickly, trying to bring some moisture into his throat. “I think…” he has to stop to catch his breath, as Kurt looks down at his lips and it causes him to momentarily forget what he meant to say. “I think I could be happy, someday,” he manages.

Kurt’s hand cups Blaine’s cheek, and Blaine instantly leans into it. Kurt’s hands have always been so soft and perfect. Having them on him is a pleasure he will never forget. It feels like heaven to feel them once more.

“I wish I could make you happy  _ now _ .”

Blaine’s heart skips a beat, and he smiles. “You are,” he says. “Right now, you are making me happy.”

Kurt smiles back. “Good.”

Blaine licks his lips, glancing down at Kurt’s. He is so close. He’s going to give in. He knows he’s going to give in. He’s been so strong, but having Kurt right here, right in front of him…

“Uh,” he clears his throat, dragging his eyes from Kurt’s lips to his eyes. “The tournament comes to a close tomorrow,” he says, out of lack of anything else to say.

Kurt’s lips quirk up in amusement. “It does indeed, Blaine,” he says, thumb stroking the apple of Blaine’s cheek.

“I, um,” he looks away from Kurt. Oh, lord, he cannot think of anything to say. He knows that if he does not say something soon, he is going to get lost in the moment. He’s going to give in. 

“If you were in the tournament,” he says, Burt’s words from only a week ago coming back to him, “and you won, what would you choose for your prize?”

Kurt raises an eyebrow. He’s smiling at Blaine as though he is something precious. “What?”

“I just - Uh. If you had entered a knight in the tournament, and that knight won, what prize would you choose?”

Kurt’s face becomes serious. He looks Blaine over, eyes everywhere at once. His other hand comes up to cup Blaine’s free cheek, and he tilts Blaine’s face upward. 

He leans in and, ever so gently, presses their lips together.

It feels like coming home.

“You,” Kurt whispers. “I would ask for  _ you _ .”

Blaine’s hands find Kurt’s waist and he pulls him in for another kiss, this one lacking all the sweetness and finesse that the previous did. 

A dam has burst inside him, and he needs Kurt. Damn the consequences.

He begins to step backward, pulling Kurt along with him. He does not know where he’s going, eyes shut, focused on nothing but Kurt’s lips and Kurt’s tongue. 

He missed this so much.

Kurt maneuvers them into an empty stall, and Blaine allows himself to open his eyes when Kurt separates from him and turns to shut gate behind them. It won’t do much to hide them should somebody come in, but it gives the illusion of privacy. 

This is reckless. Blaine has not been reckless since… well, since the first time he kissed Kurt. 

He pulls Kurt close and kisses him again. Oh, he could kiss this man forever.

“You know,” he says between kisses, allowing Kurt to push him up against the nearest wall. “You’re breaking the rules, asking for me as your prize.”

“Oh?” Kurt leans in and bites Blaine’s lip gently. Blaine’s knees wobble, but Kurt places his thigh between Blaine’s legs, keeping him steady. “How so?”

“Can’t -” Blaine keens as Kurt grinds his thigh upward. “Can’t ask for a person,” he breathes. His eyes are shut and his head falls back against the wall with a hard  _ thud _ . Blaine barely feels it thought. All he feels is Kurt’s thigh pressed against his cock, Kurt’s hands squeezing his waist, and Kurt’s mouth leaning in and pressing kisses to the crook of his neck.

Kurt hums against his skin, biting at it gently. “Then I’d ask for permission to ask you to marry me,” he says. “Your permission.”

“The prize comes from the King,” Blaine says, his hand coming up to thread through Kurt’s soft hair. 

“It’s  _ your _ tournament,” Kurt says. “Shouldn’t you be allowed to grant prizes as well?”

Blaine can barely think, fingers wrapped around Kurt’s silky hair, Kurt’s lips nipping up and down his neck, his hands curling around his hips possessively. 

“I -” Kurt presses his thigh up against him again and Blaine almost comes on the spot. “I suppose,” he somehow manages to say.

“Or,” Kurt says, pulling away from Blaine’s neck and pressing their foreheads together. His eyes close, and Blaine’s close as well, allowing himself to just feel close to Kurt. “I would ask that your engagement to the King be broken, and that you be released as his concubine. Then, after that was done, I would ask you to marry me. Like a gentleman.”

Blaine tilts his head up and kisses him, tongue stroking Kurt’s softly before he pulls back and says, “I would say yes.”

Kurt groans and pushes Blaine harder up against the wall. His hands travel from his waist to his ass, dipping under his pants and undergarments to squeeze the skin there.

“Never got to fuck you,” he whispers into Blaine’s ear, and Blaine’s knees weaken once more. 

“Please,” Blaine whispers. 

Kurt pulls one hand out of Blaine’s trousers and brings it up to his lips. With the other, he begins to shove Blaine’s pants down. He sucks two fingers into his mouth and Blaine watches enraptured, unaware of the loss of his lower garments.

It is only when Kurt pops the fingers out of his mouth and begins to guide them back to Blaine’s ass that Blaine realizes what he is doing. 

His hand comes out and grabs Kurt’s wrist and he shakes his head. “No.”

Kurt’s eyebrows shoot up. “What?”

“You are  _ not _ putting your fingers in me with only your spit as lubricant.”

Kurt stares at him, surprise painting his face. Slowly, his surprise morphs into fondness, and he lets out a small chuckle. 

“You’re feistier than I remember,” he whispers, leaning in to nip at his lower lip again. “I like it.”

Blaine raises an eyebrow and simply asks, “Do you have any oil?”

Kurt glances around the empty stable stall. There is nothing in here, not even a small stack of hay. He sucks his lips into his mouth, then says, “I think I may know where to get some.”

“Hurry?” is all Blaine replies. Kurt nods, and rushes out, leaving Blaine alone in the stable stall, pants and undergarments around his ankles, cock throbbing, beyond desperate.

He reaches a hand down and wraps it around the base of his cock, still concealed by his shirt. He holds himself tightly; he wants this to last. 

Kurt returns much quicker than he expected, a small vial of oil in his hands.

“Do I want to know what that oil is typically used for?” Blaine asks, voice breathless with arousal.

“You really don’t,” Kurt replies.

Blaine chuckles, and strokes himself once. “Well? Why are you still standing over there?”

Kurt is in front of him in seconds, kissing him soundly, hands at work uncorking the oil vial. It comes off with a too-loud  _ pop _ and Blaine sucks on Kurt’s bottom lip, excitement coursing through his body.

“Here,” Kurt moves one hand so that it’s under Blaine’s ass and then, somehow, Blaine isn’t even sure how, lifts him up and moves his legs so that they wrap around Kurt’s waist. “Perfect,” Kurt whispers as Blaine clutches Kurt’s shoulders.

“Oh, god,” Blaine whispers. Slick fingers trail down to his hole and his eyes shut. He clenches his leg muscles, pulling Kurt impossibly closer. Kurt groans against his lips, fingers teasing his hole.

He inserts two immediately, and Blaine keens. It’s been months since he had anything in his ass, and two fingers feels like too much. Somehow it also manages to feel like not enough.

“I love you,” he whispers as Kurt begins to pump his fingers in and out of him slowly. “I love you.”

“More,” Kurt grunts, inserting a third finger. “Love you more.”

“Impossible,” Blaine says, bearing down on Kurt’s fingers. 

He isn’t nearly ready, but he feels as though he will burst if Kurt does not get inside him right this instant. 

“There, um,” Kurt pants as he continues to thrust his fingers inside Blaine. “There wasn’t any protection, where I found the oil.”

Blaine’s fingers dig further into Kurt’s shoulders, shuddering as Kurt’s fingers brush against that wonderful spot inside of him. “I didn’t expect there would be.”

“Is that… are you okay with that?” Kurt asks. Blaine nods before Kurt has even finished speaking.

“Please, just fuck me.”

It’s a bit of a struggle for Kurt to lower his pants, while keeping Blaine from falling, but somehow he manages. Blaine looks down between them at Kurt’s bare cock, which Kurt is carefully slathering with oil. 

He is ready. He is  _ so _ ready.

Kurt moves them so that Blaine’s hips are tilted towards his and lines his cock up with Blaine’s hole. Blaine can feel the heat of him and he rolls his hips. “ _ Please _ ,” he begs.

“Needy,” Kurt teases, then begins to press inside.

It feels wonderful. No, better than wonderful. If there is a word higher than wonderful, that is how Blaine feels.

“ _ Kurt _ ,” he groans as Kurt moves inside him, slowly pushing in until he has bottomed out.

“Oh, god, you feel-” Kurt presses their foreheads together, his hand squeezing Blaine’s thigh tightly. “You feel so incredible.”

Incredible. That’s the word Blaine was looking for before.

“So do you,” he replies. He waits for several moments, thankful that Kurt allows him the time to adjust, then shifts his hips to indicate that he is ready.

Kurt begins to thrust out, then back in, and Blaine moans, the sound of it echoing throughout the empty stables.

“We should… we should make this quick,” Blaine says. “I doubt we will be alone for much longer.”

“Don’t want to,” Kurt whispers, voice ragged and rough, lips brushing against Blaine’s earlobe as he speaks. “Want to make this last. Want to fuck you forever.”

“Forever is a little unrealistic,” Blaine says, heading falling back against the wall once again as Kurt’s cockhead brushes against that spot inside him. 

“Don’t care,” Kurt replies, thrusting his hips faster.

They move together, Blaine’s cock rubbing against the material of Kurt’s shirt, creating a wonderful friction. Kurt continues to rock in and out of him, and Blaine meets him thrust for thrust. 

It feels so much better, having Kurt inside him, than he could have ever imagined. Kurt fits inside him more perfectly than anybody else ever has, and Blaine… well, he knows that forever is unrealistic, but damn, he cannot help but wish for it, too. 

Forever cannot be, though, and soon enough Blaine feels a tingle at the base of his spine, and he knows that he’s close. 

“I’m gonna -” he moves a hand down to wrap around himself, stroking in time with Kurt’s thrusts. “I’m going to come, Kurt.”

“Me too,” Kurt grits out. He leans forward and their lips meet in a far too gentle kiss considering how quickly Kurt is fucking him. “Fuck, me too.”

Blaine strokes himself faster. He tightens his legs around Kurt’s waist, pulling him deeper inside. 

“Fuck,” he whispers as Kurt brushes against that spot once more, and then it’s over. He’s coming, over his hand and over Kurt’s shirt, stroking himself through it, the feel of Kurt still thrusting in and out of him just on the right side of too much.

He feels boneless when he’s done, sated and perfect. Then, Kurt presses him further up against the wall, sinks his teeth into Blaine’s shoulder, and comes deep inside his ass.

Blaine leans his cheek against Kurt’s head, loosening his grip around Kurt’s waist. Kurt spends several moments breathing heavily, then slowly lowers both of them to the ground.

“Oh, god,” Blaine hisses when his bare ass hits the cool stone. Kurt giggles, then ever so carefully pulls out of Blaine. Blaine hisses again, for an entirely different reason this time. 

He pulls his pants and undergarments up, then glances at Kurt who is doing the same. 

There is come all over the front of his shirt, and Blaine winces. “I don’t think we thought this through,” he says, feeling some of Kurt’s come escaping his stretched hole. 

Kurt giggles again, looking down at himself. “We did not.”

Blaine leans forward and kisses him softly. “Thank you,” he says, smiling as they separate. “That was… wow. Thank you.”

“Thank  _ you _ ,” Kurt says, smirking and kissing him again.

They continue to kiss for several moments, until finally Blaine forces himself to focus on what must happen next.

“Kurt,” he says, pulling away, a hand going to Kurt’s shoulder. “This can’t… this can’t happen again.”

Kurt bites down on his bottom lip and looks away from Blaine. He nods. “I know.”

“I want you to know that I have no regrets about what happened tonight,” Blaine says softly. He knows he should, but he doesn’t think he will ever be able to bring himself to regret this. “I’ve actually fantasized about a situation like this, so. Thank you for making my dreams a reality.”

Kurt chuckles, but still won’t meet his eye. “Was I as good as my imaginary counterpart?”

Blaine smiles, rubbing his thumb over Kurt’s shoulder gently. “You were infinitely better.”

“I’m glad,” Kurt whispers.

Blaine stands slowly, then helps Kurt to his feet as well. 

He leans up and kisses Kurt on the lips. “I love you, Kurt,” he says, the words catching at the back of his throat. “More than you will ever know.”

“I think I do know,” their eyes meet, and Blaine sees that Kurt’s are once again filled with tears.

There are so many things that Blaine wishes to say, but he doesn’t know how. Instead, he kisses Kurt once more, feeling the wetness of Kurt’s tears against his cheek. When they separate, neither speaks. Blaine rubs away Kurt’s tears with his thumbs, then silently begins to walk away. He doesn’t say goodbye, doesn’t say anything. If he does, he knows he will never be able to leave.

Thankfully, Kurt doesn’t speak either, and soon Blaine is walking back to the castle, hoping he does not look too terribly dishevelled, blushing a darker and darker pink every time he feels some of Kurt’s come slip out of his ass.

He heads straight for the water closet when he returns to the castle, where he allows himself a warm bath despite the hour and the luxury of it. He scrubs himself as clean as he can be, washing every speck of Kurt off of him, until all that remains is Blaine’s memory, sore thighs, and a still-stretched asshole. 

He falls into bed, naked, and stares at the ceiling for hours.

It’s really over, with Kurt. He’s always known it; hell, he’s the one who ended it. But after today, after what they’ve done… 

He’s felt like he’s said goodbye to Kurt before, but this time it feels final. Like he’s finished the book instead of just a chapter. 

Sleep doesn’t take him until the night is halfway passed, and when it does it is a fitful sleep. 

He dreams of Kurt, and Burt, and Emma, and Sebastian. He dreams of Carole, and Sir Smith, and Elliott, and Brittany. Everybody moves in and out of his life quickly, barely giving him time to breathe. Everybody wants a part of him, but nobody wants to give him anything in return.

He wakes as his dream self fades away, having given the final piece of his heart to Kurt. 

The last thing he sees before he wakes is Kurt reaching into his chest to give him some of his heart in return.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [ rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/154576567985/the-life-ahead-1112)


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise!!!!!!! I'm posting this chapter early because tomorrow is absolutely crazy and i _refuse_ to post the last chapter of this fic late.
> 
> A very important note: THIS IS NOT THE END!!!!!!!!! There will be one more short part, sort of an epilogue, which I will post sometime over this next week. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for your comments and your support. I feel like some of you may be disappointed by how this part ends, while others will be quite happy :) Either way, I hope you enjoy and, as always, don't forget to check out the [](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/140753664325/a-night-with-the-king-warnings-masterpost>%20extended%20warnings%20for%20this%20fic%20</a>%0A%0AI%20love%20you%20all,%20and%20I'll%20see%20you%20soon%20for%20the%20last%20part%20<3)

The last day of the tournament has finally arrived, and Blaine can feel the excitement thrumming through the air.

It feels as though it was only yesterday that Carole and Sir Smith were standing in the arena with dozens of other knights. Now, only they two remain. Within less than an hour there will only be one.

As the two knights enter the arena, Blaine cannot help but glance around the surrounding seats, attempting to find Kurt. He can just barely see Lady Lopez, flashes of Brittany’s blonde hair beside her, but if Kurt is with them he is cleverly out of view.

It’s probably better this way. After everything that happened the day before, Blaine definitely feels like he needs some space.

The herald introduces the knights for the final time, and Blaine focuses his attention on the center of the arena. He will have all the time in the world to search for Kurt once this match is finished.

The trumpet sounds and the fight begins.

Carole and Sir Smith circle each other, swords and shields at the ready. It’s tense. It’s only after Sir Smith makes the first move, swinging his sword downward on Carole, that Blaine realizes he was holding his breath.

Sir Smith has been aggressive the entire tournament. It’s been his signature style, and it’s affected every knight, as many have adopted equally aggressive behaviour. Still, Blaine does not think he has seen him be anywhere near as aggressive as he is currently; not even in his first joust.

The first five minutes of the fight consist entirely of Carole defending herself while Sir Smith attacks her with all his might. He is almost deadly in his strikes, and if it were any knight other than Carole fighting him, Blaine would genuinely worry that Sir Smith may kill them.

It’s Carole, though. She’ll be fine.

After the first five minutes, it starts to become clear that Sir Smith is becoming tired. His shoulders are slumped, and his movements are slightly slower. He is still being entirely too aggressive, however, and Carole is still doing nothing more than being on the defense.

Blaine wonders how long this fight will last. Any other of Sir Smith’s fights have ended incredibly soon; Carole does not usually take too long to take her opponent out either. Quite frankly, Blaine is a little surprised that it has lasted as long as it has.

Ten minutes into the fight, and Carole finally makes her first offensive move. As Sir Smith brings his sword down, she meets him with her own sword rather than her shield, pushing him backward and causing him to stumble.

Blaine leans forward in his seat, heart racing in his chest.

The fight continues, with Carole pushing against Sir Smith with more force. Sir Smith gives as good as he gets, but it is clear that he is suffering from those first ten minutes of solitary offense.

Carole played the long game, and it is paying off.

Blaine can see that Sir Smith is struggling to maintain his shield and his sword up. Blaine bites on his lower lip. He cannot tear his eyes away.

Carole swings her sword, then instantly knocks into Sir Smith’s shield with her own, and the shield goes flying from his hand. The crowd lets out a simultaneous gasp as Sir Smith quickly grabs the hilt of his sword with both hands and pushes back, though it really doesn’t do much.

He thrusts his sword at Carole, but she easily shields herself from it. She once again uses her shield to push against him, then turns her sword in her hand and hits the bottom of Sir Smith’s hilt with the flat of the sword.

Instantly, Sir Smith’s sword flies from his hand. He barely has time to turn his head to see where it’s landed before Carole has raised her sword to the man’s throat.

The crowd goes wild. In the arena, Carole and Sir Smith remain in position, both breathing heavily.

Finally, amongst the cheers of the crowd, Sir Smith raises his hands slowly in defeat.

It’s over.

Blaine stands to cheer for Carole, quite pleased that he was right in his prediction of her victory. Still, his eyes remain on Sir Smith, who has not moved since raising his hands, even though Carole has dropped her sword from his throat.

The herald sounds his trumpet, and Burt stands next to Blaine. He gestures for everybody to sit, but gestures to Blaine that he may remain standing. Blaine does so, continuing to clap for several moments longer, eyes on the silver armoured man standing defeated in the center of the arena.

“Lady Hudson of Lima, knight to the King,” Burt begins, voice loud and powerful, resonating throughout the entire arena. “I congratulate you on your victory.”

Applause erupts throughout the stands once more, but Burt raises his hands quickly and quells it.

“Before you state your prize,” he says, eyes turning to her opponent, “Sir Smith. You have been a fair and noble fighter. Please, what prize would you have desired, had the tournament gone in your favour instead?”

Sir Smith’s head tilts upward, though it is impossible to discern his expression through his helmet. All is silent for several moments.

Finally, the knight speaks.

“The prize I desire is not yours to give, Your Majesty.”

That voice. Oh, god, that sweet, beautiful voice.

Blaine would recognize it anywhere.

He gasps, his hand flying to his mouth. He does not look over at Burt to see his reaction, eyes unable to look away from Sir Smith as the knight reaches his hands up to his helmet.

Tears well in Blaine’s eyes as what he already knew is confirmed. The helmet is removed, and Sir Smith disappears. In his place stands the Crown Prince of Lima.

“Kurt,” Burt says, voice breathless. “What is the meaning of this?”

Kurt does not answer his father. Instead, he turns to Blaine. Their eyes meet, and a tear falls down Blaine’s cheek.

“Blaine,” Kurt calls out, stretching out a hand. “You know I would never actually ask for you as my prize. You are far more than that. My prize, had I won, would have been to request the honour of you even considering becoming my husband.”

Murmurs break out amongst the crowd. Blaine’s mouth drops in shock. His heart skips a beat. He raises a hand to cover his open mouth.

He cannot believe that he did not see it before now. He should have known. It should have been obvious.

Kurt entered the tournament for him. Kurt entered, hoping to be afforded the mere opportunity of proposing to Blaine. All this time, Kurt was fighting for Blaine.

“I-” Burt begins to speak, but does not seem to know how to continue. The crowd is growing louder, and it takes the herald sounding his trumpet before they become silent once more.

Blaine glances at his fiancé, and sees the utter shock written on his face. The man shakes his head, then looks away from his son.

“Lady Hudson,” he says, voice shaking slightly. “You are the victor. Please, state what prize you wish to claim.”

Blaine licks his lips, surprised that this is the approach Burt is taking. He never thought he would be one to ignore a problem, especially one so blatant and public.

Carole removes her helmet as well. She turns to give Kurt a considering look, and then, with a smile, says, “For my prize, I would like only the answer to one question.”

Burt’s hands fall onto the rail guarding their seats from the rest of the arena. “Of course, my most brave and noble knight. I will answer any question you desire.”

Even with the distance between them, Blaine can see the way that Carole takes in a deep breath before posing her question.

“Do you think you could ever grow to love me the way that I love you?”

Chaos erupts in the arena. The crowd is absolutely wild, and despite the herald sounding his trumpet multiple times he cannot seem to calm them.

Blaine watches as Kurt closes the distance between himself and Carole, wrapping her in a tight hug. He smiles at the display, then turns to Burt.

The man is paler than Blaine has ever seen him. He is shaking the rail, and his eyes are wide, lips parted in complete and utter shock.

“Burt…” Blaine begins. He is cut off by Burt pushing himself away from the rail and instantly disappearing toward the exit.

Blaine takes a brief moment to glance back at Kurt and Carole. He sees Kurt staring up at him from over Carole’s shoulder. With a smile, Blaine blows him a kiss, which Kurt pretends to catch. Kurt mouths the words ‘I love you’. Blaine mouths them back.

Then, he turns on his heel, and chases his fiancé.

**

Burt isn’t by the carriages, nor is he hidden behind any of the nearby buildings. Blaine calls out his name, trying to find him. Thankfully, most people are still in the arena, or this would be far more difficult than it already is.

He begins walking down the path their carriages arrive by, and soon finds Burt sitting on a large rock on the side of the path. He is holding a flower in his hand, which he is twirling slowly. His face is still pale, but the shock is no longer present. Instead, he looks deeply melancholic.

Blaine approaches him slowly, standing in front of him in silence. He says nothing, waiting for Burt to acknowledge his presence.

Finally, the King does so.

“Did you know?” he asks, the words coming out of his mouth like molasses.

“Which part?” is the only thing Blaine can think to reply.

Burt looks up at him, and Blaine sees such deep pain and confusion in his eyes that his heart breaks. “All of it,” the words are barely a whisper.

Blaine swallows thickly. “I… I knew about Carole’s feelings,” he admits.

“And my son’s?”

Blaine looks down at the flower in Burt’s hands. “Yes. I knew of those, too.”

The flower is thrown to the ground and Burt stands, suddenly too close to Blaine, who takes a step back in shock.

“And this… this Sir Smith, business?”

Blaine shakes his head. “No,” he whispers. “That… that I was unaware of.”

Burt steps around Blaine, beginning to walk down the path to the castle. Blaine watches as he walks several paces, then turns back to look at Blaine.

“And you?” he asks, voice louder, but broken. “How do you feel toward my son?”

The tears that had begun at the arena have stopped, but Blaine thinks they might begin again at any moment. “I feel the same as he does,” Blaine replies, his shoulders squared but his voice soft. “And I think you feel the same as Carole.”

Burt takes a step closer to Blaine. He reaches a hand out to him, but does not quite reach. “I love _you_ ,” he says, voice rough. “I love you, Blaine.”

Blaine can see the pain, the conflict in his eyes. “Maybe so,” he says, not wanting to deny the King something he so clearly believes. “But you love her, too.”

“No,” Burt shakes his head, but Blaine stops him. He takes a step forward and holds Burt’s hands in his.

“You do,” Blaine continues. “I’ve seen it. I see it every time your eyes land on her. I see it every time you speak of her. I think you have loved her for a long time.”

“It’s wrong,” Burt spits out. “It’s wrong, it’s all _wrong_. She was my wife’s concubine. You are _mine_. Don’t you see, what you’re saying, it's wrong. You and I belong with each other. I do not belong with Carole, and you do not belong with Kurt.”

The words send a stab right through Blaine’s heart. He has to swallow back the tears that threaten to emerge. “That first night,” he says, voice shaking. “In Westerville?” Burt nods, face scrunched together in such a way as to show Blaine that he, too, is fighting back tears. “I thought it was Kurt who was calling for me.”

Burt’s eyes widen and he takes a step back. “What?”

Blaine nods. “We… We saw each other. During the procession. Our eyes met. It was…” Blaine cannot help but smile at the memory. “It was magical.”

Burt shakes his head, pain and hurt written clear as day on his face. “So all this time, all these months; it’s always been Kurt?” Blaine presses his lips together, and gives Burt one singular nod. Burt shakes his head again. “Did you ever love me?” he asks, the words far softer than Blaine expected.

Blaine looks down at the ground. “I am sorry, Burt.”

Burt turns on the spot, hands running over his face. “You agreed to marry me,” he says, pointing an accusing finger. “Why would you - I don’t understand. If you never loved me-”

“The concubines,” Blaine whispers.

Burt freezes. He stares at Blaine, long and hard.

Finally, he says, “The concubines?”

Blaine nods.

Burt begins to pace, hands running over his face once more. He murmurs to himself, his distress clear as day.

After several minutes of this he heaves a great sigh, then returns to the large rock. He sits on it, exhaling sharply.

“I knew Kurt had seen somebody in Westerville,” he says softly as Blaine approaches him. “Mason… Mason told me that Kurt had asked him to find somebody as well. He claimed he could not find him.” Burt looks up at Blaine, and shakes his head, a bitter smile stretching over his face. “I guess now I know why.”

“I’m sorry, Burt,” Blaine says. “I didn’t expect this. Any of this.” He bites down on his bottom lip, then whispers, “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

Burt just shakes his head. “Where do we go from here?” he asks. He gestures back to the beginning clump of buildings that mark the capital, “Do we just… go back and announce that it’s over? Tell everybody that we are no longer engaged? I marry Carole, and you marry my son, as if that’s _normal_?”

Blaine sighs and sits down next to him on the rock. “In an ideal world,” Blaine says.

Burt looks off into the distance. He does not reply for some time.

When he does, it’s with yet another sigh. “I cannot hold your feelings for Kurt against you, Blaine,” he says quietly. “I…” he meets Blaine’s eye, then turns away. “I saw Carole first,” he admits, his voice quiet. “I saw her first, and I pointed her out to my wife. She… she instantly took a liking to her. She thought I was pointing Carole out _for_ her.” He bites his lip. “She looked so happy. So enamoured.” He smiles, despite the situation. “I couldn’t deny her.”

Blaine places his hand on top of Burt’s. “Instead you denied yourself,” he whispers. It’s strange, to think of Burt doing something like that. Denying himself something he desired. Putting someone else’s needs above his own.

“What else could I do?”

Despite the pity and sympathy Blaine feels for Burt at this moment, he cannot help but think _what you did to me. What you did to Sue, and Will, and Emma. What you did to Sebastian_.

He presses his lips together. Now is not the time for things like that.

“I don’t… Blaine,” Burt turns his hand around in Blaine’s, lacing their fingers together. “I don’t know what to do.”

Blaine smiles and squeezes Burt’s hand. “Stop denying yourself,” he whispers.

Burt shakes his head. “If I do that, I lose you,” he whispers.

“Burt,” Blaine says, making sure that Burt is looking in his eyes as he speaks. “You never really had me.”

Burt looks away from Blaine, aiming his eyes up at the sky instead. He removes his hand from Blaine’s hold.

Neither speaks for some time. In truth, Blaine does not know what else to say.

It’s Burt, finally, who breaks the silence.

“I don’t know what I am going to do,” Burt says. He takes a deep breath, then turns to Blaine. “But I do know that I will not force you to marry me if your heart really lies elsewhere.”

Blaine brings a hand up to cover his mouth once more. “Burt…”

“Blaine,” Burt says, the beginning of tears pooling in his eyes. “I hereby break our engagement, and release you as my concubine.” A tear rolls down his cheek. “You’re free.”

Tears begin to stream down Blaine’s face as well. “Burt-”

“Don’t,” Burt says, shaking his head. “Don’t say anything. Just… go.” He nods toward the buildings. “I think I need some time alone to think, anyway.”

“Are you-”

“Blaine,” Burt puts his hands on Blaine’s, and somehow manages to give him a smile. “Go.”

Blaine nods. He stands up and wipes the tears off his cheeks, turning to head back to the arena.

He takes a few steps, and is stopped by Burt calling out, “Oh, and Blaine?” Blaine turns back to look at him, finding him still smiling. “Don’t ever expect me to call you ‘son’.”

Blaine cannot help it. He laughs.

“I would never,” he promises. Burt nods, the smile slowly slipping from his face. He nods in the direction of the capital and Blaine turns back around.

Things are not nearly resolved. Not yet. But, Blaine thinks, they will be.

He looks toward the capital, then starts running, feeling lighter than he has in a year.

**

Kurt is standing by the carriages, looking around wildly. He is no longer in his armour, instead wearing a simple robe and pants. “Blaine!” he shouts, and Blaine feels a grin take over his face.

Free.

He’s free.

“Kurt!” he calls. Kurt’s head whips toward him, lips hanging open, eyes round, cheeks pink.

He’s free.

“Blaine!” he calls back. Blaine laughs, then begins to run toward Kurt. He runs as fast as his legs will carry him, runs until he is directly in front of Kurt, then keeps running until he is in his arms.

He’s free.

“Blaine, what-?”

Blaine does not let him finish. He wraps his arms around Kurt’s neck and pulls him down into a kiss more passionate than any they have shared before.

He’s free.

He barely manages to separate himself from Kurt before he murmurs the words, “Marry me?” against his mouth.

Kurt grins. He wraps his arms around Blaine’s waist and picks him up off the ground, spinning them in a circle.

Blaine laughs, joy seeped into every one of his cells.

“That’s my line,” Kurt whispers as he sets Blaine down.

Blaine pulls him into yet another kiss.

He’s free.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case you didn't read my author's note at the beginning: THIS IS NOT THE END. I will be posting the final part of this series sometime this week.
> 
>  
> 
> [rebloggable on tumblr ](http://klaineanummel.tumblr.com/post/154663162195/the-life-ahead)


End file.
